Enrolled Students Next Steps

If you registered online and you do not have any allergies and/or other medical/health conditions, you do not need to complete this step.

If you registered your student by phone, email, or submission of a PDF registration form, a signed Consent Form‌ is required to participate in the Early College Program at SAIC; failure to submit a signed Consent Form prior to the first class may prevent participation. This includes students using tuition vouchers and tuition remission. Please send the signed Consent Form‌ to saic-youth@saic.edu.

Parents/guardians of students with allergies and/or other medical/health conditions that might require emergency assistance should complete an Allergy History and Emergency Action Plan Form or email saic-youth@saic.edu. This information is confidential and only shared with program staff. Please resubmit all medical forms each term, even if you submitted them previously.

Important: After enrolling, it may take up to two business days before you can activate your SAIC account.

Your SAIC email account is the key to accessing Canvas and other student resources. Your instructor will communicate with you through Canvas and your SAIC.edu email address. Check it regularly during the course.

To activate your SAIC email account, you will need to:

• Locate your SAIC ID number in your Registration Confirmation email, sent from cs@saic.edu. If you have an SAIC student ID card, you will also find it there. Your seven-digit SAIC Student ID number is different from the five-digit order number included on the Order Confirmation receipt email sent to you at the time of checkout.
• Go to https://password.artic.edu
• Select Activate Account
• Enter your seven-digit SAIC ID number
• Enter your last name
• Enter your birthdate the following format: DD-MMM (e.g., 22-FEB or 03-JUN)
  • DD: Two-digit day (01 to 31)
  • MMM: Three-letter abbreviation for the month (e.g., JAN, FEB, MAR, etc.)
  • Note: Use numeric characters for the day and only letters for the month.
• Select Activate

Your username is automatically assigned, but you will need to create your own password. Passwords can be simple sentences (“There were 15 green trees.”), a series of words separated by spaces (“Correct Horse Battery Staple”) or a longer traditional password (“Thisisalongpassword!”). The longer the password, the more secure it is. Pick a password that is easy for you to remember.  

Your new password must meet the following requirements:
Is case sensitive.

• Must be a minimum of 15 characters long.
• Must not repeat any character more than 3 times consecutively. 
• Cannot include any of the password examples above.

Uppercase, lowercase, special characters, and numbers are allowed but not required when setting your new password.

You will also be prompted to set up four security questions. Be sure to record your account information for future reference.

Visit gmail.artic.edu to log in to your SAIC email with the username and password from above.

Need Help? Contact the CRIT Help Desk at 312.345.3535 or email crithelpdesk@saic.edu. Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Students will need an ARTICard, the SAIC ID, to enter campus buildings. You will receive an email from articard@saic.edu to your home email address in the month prior to the start of your class which details how to submit your identification photo. 

Students will receive their ARTICard during their first class meeting. Students who registered late or did not submit their photo will have an opportunity to get their ARTICard made on the first day of class.

Parents/guardians of students with disabilities that may require accommodations are advised to contact the Disability and Learning Resource Center (DLRC) to schedule a time to meet with one of their staff to discuss all accommodation needs.

SAIC is committed to providing opportunities for full participation in all programs for students with disabilities, including Continuing Studies students and Students At Large. Students with disabilities should first contact the DLRC to request reasonable accommodations. To plan for the most effective accommodations, we ask that you contact the DLRC at least two weeks before the start date for the course. 

Disability and Learning Resource Center: Learn more about the DLRC including common accommodations provided by their office, their approach to providing accommodations, and how to schedule an appointment.

The DLRC can be reached by phone at 312.499.4278 or email at dlrc@saic.edu.

All Early College Program students are expected to adhere to the Rights and Responsibilities for ECP Students.

Credit is optional for juniors and seniors in the ECP program. When you enrolled in your course you selected to take your course for credit or not for credit. If you would like to change your credit status, email cs@saic.edu before the start of class. We cannot change your credit status after the course has begun.

SAIC has a credit/no credit policy. Standards of individual student academic progress are measured utilizing an academic standing process that does not rely upon GPA and, therefore, does not assign letter grades. This system best facilitates the education our institution aims to provide—an education that fosters creativity, risk-taking in the context of creative making and scholarship, and an emphasis on iterative evaluation of growth and progress.

At the end of the term, you can order official transcripts online. Please contact us regarding the timeline for when transcripts will be available. You can reach us at saic-youth@saic.edu.

Canvas is SAIC’s online learning platform and will be the central resource for all of your course materials and communication with your instructors and peers. You will need to log in with your SAIC username and password.

Typically, instructors make courses viewable one week before the start of class. Please note that not all instructors may use Canvas. 

Visit canvas.saic.edu or download the app for Android or Apple and log in using your SAIC username and password. Complete the virtual  Canvas Student Orientation to get started.

Need Help? Contact the Canvas Support Team at canvas-help@saic.edu, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

For more information, visit the Continuing Studies Orientation website and select your program.

Students are responsible for purchasing their own supplies.

Typically, supply lists for courses with a duration of longer than one week are provided to students during the first class session. However, some instructors may choose to provide a supply list to students in advance if specific materials are required during the first week of class. If your instructor has chosen to release the supply list prior to the start of class, you will find it at the link below.

Course Supply Lists: These will be posted one week prior to the start of class.

Please note that a computer is required to participate in online classes.

To confirm the location of your course, visit continuingstudies.saic.edu/early-college-program and enter your course number in the field under Early College Program Courses.

Occasionally course locations change prior to the start of class. We also encourage you to check the location at the link above in the days leading up to the start of class.

AIC-FRONT: Front lobby of the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave.
280: 280 Building, 280 S. Columbus Dr.
LV: Lakeview Building, 116 S. Michigan Ave.
MC: MacLean Center, 112 S. Michigan Ave.
SC: Sullivan Center, 36 S. Wabash Ave.
SP: Sharp Building, 37 S. Wabash Ave.

View a campus map here.

Lockers are made available at the start of classes on a first-come, first-served basis and must be officially registered through the Office of Student Affairs each semester. Students who have registered a locker during the current term must provide their own lock. If an unregistered locker is found locked, the lock will be cut and the contents disposed of. Locks and personal belongings not removed at the end of the semester will be disposed of.

Students may register their locker one week in advance of the start of their class, as it will take up to two business days for locker registration to be completed. 

Student​ ​Locker​ ​Registration​ ​Checklist

• Email​ student affairs at studenthelp@saic.edu​
• Use subject line: Locker reservation request - ECP student
• Include​ ​the​ ​following​ ​information​ ​in​ ​the​ ​body​ ​of​ ​the​ ​email. ​​Failure to provide all information will cause a delay in completing the registration.
  • Full name and SAIC ID number
  • Location of your course - building, floor, and classroom
  • Dates of your course

Students will be assigned the closest available locker to their classroom and may use it for the duration of their course.

We strongly recommend clearing your locker by the end of your last class. Any items left in the lockers at the end of the term may be disposed of or recycled. Security will not honor “Do Not Cut” signs placed on lockers at any time.

Need Help? Contact the Office of Student Affairs at 312.629.6800 or studenthelp@saic.edu.

SAIC provides guest wi-fi in limited areas on campus. If you would like to connect to the School’s wi-fi network for students, faculty, and staff, follow the instructions here. You must activate your SAIC account first. 

Please note that the process requires an internet connection: SAIC Guest (available in the MacLean Ballroom, Neiman Center, and 280 S. Columbus Drive Building), Hot Spot, or Off Campus Network.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago offers various campus services, including self-service laser copiers, wide-format printers, and professional printing services.

Self-Service Printing

Professional Printing Services at The Service Bureau

All ECP students receive $12 per term of print funds, which is put on their ARTICards. The balance is reset to $0 at the end of each term. These funds can only be used at the self-service printers, not the Service Bureau.

Please be aware that protests and other events may impact travel to and from our downtown Chicago campus, and some may occur unexpectedly.

Fall Events:

• October 5, 2025, National Portfolio Day
• October 12, 2025, Chicago Marathon, road closures. For detailed information about road closures, visit the Chicago Marathon Street Closure Notification page. For access to the 280 Building between noon on Saturday, October 11, until 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 12, you must enter next to the museum’s Modern Wing entrance, and you’ll be required to show your SAIC ID card. SAIC security officers will accompany students and employees along the secured path between the 280 Building and the Modern Wing of the museum.
• October 18, 2025, Graduate Portfolio Day
• November 2, 2025, Hot Chocolate Run, road closures. For detailed information about road closures, visit Hot Chocolate Run's Course Map [PDF] or Interactive Course Map.
• November 24–30, 2025, Thanksgiving, no classes

Spring Events:

• March 14, 2026, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, road closures
• March 16–22, 2026, Spring Break, no classes
• March 22, 2026, Shamrock Shuffle, road closures
• April 4–5, 2026, Easter holiday, no classes

Summer Events:

• June 19, 2026, Juneteenth, no classes
• July 3, 2026, Independence Day (Observed), no classes
• TBD, Taste of Chicago, road closures
• TBD, Lollapalooza, pre- and post-road closures

Road Closures:

Roads will be closed in and around the vicinity of the SAIC campus. Roads leading into and around downtown may become blocked as the city prepares for and cleans up from the event.

We strongly advise families to use public transportation. Information on public parking can be found at saic.edu/visit/directions-campus. Please check the garage entrance location against the current road closure details.

NOTE: We will update this page with road closure information closer to the event. You may also visit the City of Chicago’s Street Closures Listing page and Chicago Loop Alliance’s Advisories page.

You will receive a Welcome & Next Steps email from saic-youth@saic.edu in the days leading up to the start of class. The subject line will include Welcome & Next Steps.

In this email you will find:

• A reminder to complete the steps outlined on this page
• The contact information for your instructor

A staff member will be available to respond to emails regarding urgent concerns while ECP courses are in session.

Most concerns can be resolved effectively by email. If a phone call is needed, a staff member will reply by phone to your email.

Youth Curriculum and Instruction Team (Programming): saic-youth@saic.edu

Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. CT (when weekend courses are in session only)
Sunday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. CT (when weekend courses are in session only)

To expedite assistance, include as much of the following information as you are able to.

• Your first and last name as it appears on your Registration Confirmation email
• Your seven-digit student ID number (included in your Registration Confirmation email)
• The class you are taking, including when it is scheduled to start
• A phone number you can be reached at

TIP: Include your instructor in your email to saic-youth@saic.edu. That way they will be aware that you are working on troubleshooting in order to connect with them for the first class. The contact information for your instructor will be provided to you in the Welcome & Next Steps email sent in the days leading up to the start of class.

If you registered online and you do not have any allergies and/or other medical/health conditions, you do not need to complete this step.

If you registered your student by phone, email, or submission of a PDF registration form, a signed Consent Form is required to participate in the Early College Program at SAIC; failure to submit a signed Consent Form prior to the first class may prevent participation. This includes students using tuition vouchers and tuition remission. Please send the signed Consent Form to saic-youth@saic.edu.

Parents/guardians of students with allergies and/or other medical/health conditions that might require emergency assistance should complete an Allergy History and Emergency Action Plan Form or email saic-youth@saic.edu. This information is confidential and only shared with program staff. Please resubmit all medical forms each term, even if you submitted them previously.

Important: After enrolling, it may take up to two business days before you can activate your SAIC account.

Your SAIC email account is the key to accessing Canvas and other student resources. Your instructor will communicate with you through Canvas and your SAIC.edu email address. Check it regularly during the course.

To activate your SAIC email account, you will need to:

• Locate your SAIC ID number in your Registration Confirmation email, sent from cs@saic.edu. If you have an SAIC student ID card, you will also find it there. Your seven-digit SAIC Student ID number is different from the five-digit order number included on the Order Confirmation receipt email sent to you at the time of checkout.
• Go to https://password.artic.edu
• Select Activate Account
• Enter your seven-digit SAIC ID number
• Enter your last name
• Enter your birthdate the following format: DD-MMM (e.g., 22-FEB or 03-JUN)
  • DD: Two-digit day (01 to 31)
  • MMM: Three-letter abbreviation for the month (e.g., JAN, FEB, MAR, etc.)
  • Note: Use numeric characters for the day and only letters for the month.
• Select Activate

Your username is automatically assigned, but you will need to create your own password. Passwords can be simple sentences (“There were 15 green trees.”), a series of words separated by spaces (“Correct Horse Battery Staple”) or a longer traditional password (“Thisisalongpassword!”). The longer the password, the more secure it is. Pick a password that is easy for you to remember.  

Your new password must meet the following requirements:
Is case sensitive.

• Must be a minimum of 15 characters long.
• Must not repeat any character more than 3 times consecutively. 
• Cannot include any of the password examples above.

Uppercase, lowercase, special characters, and numbers are allowed but not required when setting your new password.

You will also be prompted to set up four security questions. Be sure to record your account information for future reference.

Visit gmail.artic.edu  to log in to your SAIC email with the username and password from above.

Need Help? Contact the CRIT Help Desk at 312.345.3535 or email crithelpdesk@saic.edu. Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Parents/guardians of students with disabilities that may require accommodations are advised to contact the Disability and Learning Resource Center (DLRC) to schedule a time to meet with one of their staff to discuss all accommodation needs.

SAIC is committed to providing opportunities for full participation in all programs for students with disabilities, including Continuing Studies students and Students At Large. Students with disabilities should first contact the DLRC to request reasonable accommodations. To plan for the most effective accommodations, we ask that you contact the DLRC at least two weeks before the start date for the course. 

Disability and Learning Resource Center: Learn more about the DLRC including common accommodations provided by their office, their approach to providing accommodations, and how to schedule an appointment.

The DLRC can be reached by phone at 312.499.4278 or email at dlrc@saic.edu.

All Early College Program students are expected to adhere to the Rights and Responsibilities for ECP Students.

Credit is optional for juniors and seniors in the ECP program. When you enrolled in your course you selected to take your course for credit or not for credit. If you would like to change your credit status, email cs@saic.edu before the start of class. We cannot change your credit status after the course has begun.

SAIC has a credit/no credit policy. Standards of individual student academic progress are measured utilizing an academic standing process that does not rely upon GPA and, therefore, does not assign letter grades. This system best facilitates the education our institution aims to provide—an education that fosters creativity, risk-taking in the context of creative making and scholarship, and an emphasis on iterative evaluation of growth and progress.

At the end of the term, you can order official transcripts online. Please contact us regarding the timeline for when transcripts will be available. You can reach us at saic-youth@saic.edu.

Canvas is SAIC’s online learning platform and will be the central resource for all of your course materials and communication with your instructors and peers. You will need to log in with your SAIC username and password.
 
Typically, instructors make courses viewable one week before the start of class. Please note that not all instructors may use Canvas. 
 
Visit canvas.saic.edu or download the app for Android or Apple and log in using your SAIC username and password. Complete the virtual Canvas Student Orientation to get started.

Need Help? Contact the Canvas Support Team at canvas-help@saic.edu, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

For more information, visit the Continuing Studies Orientation website and select your program.

Students are responsible for purchasing their own supplies.

Typically, supply lists for courses with a duration of longer than one week are provided to students during the first class session. However, some instructors may choose to provide a supply list to students in advance if specific materials are required during the first week of class. If your instructor has chosen to release the supply list prior to the start of class, you will find it at the link below. 

Course Supply Lists: These will be posted one week prior to the start of class.

Please note that a computer is required to participate in online classes.

Zoom video conferencing will be used for your course. Download Zoom in advance of the first class.

• Starting the Zoom Desktop Client: Select the download that corresponds with your computer, tablet, or phone
• Joining a meeting

All live sessions are scheduled in Central Time. Use World Time Buddy to compare Central Time with your current timezone.

NOTE: You can join the first class Zoom session even if you have not finished activating your SAIC email and logged into Canvas. You will receive the link for the first Zoom session in the Welcome & Next Steps email from saic-youth@saic.edu in the days leading up to the start of class. 

You will receive a Welcome & Next Steps email from saic-youth@saic.edu in the days leading up to the start of class. The subject line will include Welcome & Next Steps.

In this email you will find:

• A reminder to complete the steps outlined on this page
• The link to the first class Zoom session (synchronous online courses)
• The contact information for your instructor

A staff member will be available to respond to emails regarding urgent concerns while ECP courses are in session.

Most concerns can be resolved effectively by email. If a phone call is needed, a staff member will reply by phone to your email.

Youth Curriculum and Instruction Team (Programming): saic-youth@saic.edu
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. CT (when weekend courses are in session only)
Sunday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. CT (when weekend courses are in session only)

To expedite assistance, include as much of the following information as you are able to.

• Your first and last name as it appears on your Registration Confirmation email
• Your seven-digit student ID number (included in your Registration Confirmation email)
• The class you are taking, including when it is scheduled to start
• A phone number you can be reached at

TIP: Include your instructor in your email to saic-youth@saic.edu. That way they will be aware that you are working on troubleshooting in order to connect with them for the first class. The contact information for your instructor will be provided to you in the Welcome & Next Steps email sent in the days leading up to the start of class.