SAS

Administrative Use

The SAS teaching and research site license, referenced in the above Teaching/Research Use tab, CANNOT be used for administrative purposes.  However, separate administrative use licenses are available:

• For Data on Banner ODS (Operational Data Store)

  If you need to use SAS for administrative purposes in regard to data stored on the Banner ODS, such as HR, finance, or student records data, that can be accomplished by using certain SAS tools, such as SAS Enterprise Guide, without installing the full "Base SAS" software on your PC.  For assistance, please contact the appropriate Banner ODS data owner.   Additional Banner ODS data resources are available at ODS Data Access and Reporting.

• For Other Data Sources or Uses

  If you feel you need to install the full "Base SAS" software on your PC to use for administrative purposes, for example, to analyze non-Banner data, please visit SAS Admin request for more information and assistance.

 

SAS for Administrative Use

To obtain SAS that will be used for administrative purposes, please refer to the above Admin Use tab.

 

SAS for Teaching & Research Use

VCU provides SAS software free of charge to faculty, staff and students. The renewal of SAS licenses must be completed annually.  SAS licenses expire on June 30 each year.  There is a 90-day grace period that extends through September 28. Failure to renew prior to September 29 will result in SAS not running on your computer.  

If you are interested in SAS Enterprise Miner/Text Miner, more information is available in the Software Center.

Supported Operating Systems:

Obtain SAS Installation Files

(If you need SAS for administrative use, please visit the Admin tab above.)

For current VCU students, faculty, and staff, the SAS application for Windows and Linux is is available, at no charge, for individual download as a zip file (which must be extracted after download).  Tech support groups for VCU units may request direct server access to the SAS installation depot of files.  For Macs, see SAS On A Mac below.

The installation and use of SAS must conform to the site license restrictions noted within the above Teaching/Research Use tab.

Individual Download

To download the SAS installation zip file, at no charge, begin by visiting the appropriate site:

• Windows
• Linux

In the ensuing two screens, complete and submit the online License Registration Form and then download the software, as follows:

1. On the first scren, read the SAS license requirements in the registration form.
2. Check all boxes to confirm your agreement with the license terms.  All licensing conditions must be abided by, or the license will be revoked.
3. Select your Installation Location(s).
4. Select the number of licenses to be installed/registered.
5. Press the Continue button.
6. A registration confirmation screen will appear containing the SAS download link.  Download the SAS installation zip file.  The zip file is very large (Windows about 13 GB, Linux about 6 GB).  The Windows file may take an hour or more to download, depending on the speed of your Internet connection.
7. A confirmation email will be sent to your VCU address

You may share the zip file with fellow VCU students, faculty, and staff for SAS installation on their PCs.  However, such installations must be registered according to the instructions noted in Renew License below.  And the installation and use of SAS must conform to the site license restrictions noted within the above Teaching/Research Use tab.

Tech Support Group Access

Tech support groups for VCU units may request download access to the SAS installation depot of files on our file server.  The downloaded files can be used to install SAS within their unit in labs, classrooms, etc., or on computers owned by VCU students, faculty, or staff.  All installations of SAS must be registered according to the instructions noted in Renew License below, and the SAS license restrictions listed within the above Teaching/Research Use tab must be adhered to.  To request download access, please contact the IT Support Center.

SAS Installation Instructions

SAS 9.4 for Windows

Follow these SAS 9.4 Windows Installation Instructions to install SAS 9.4.  The version currently available for download (as of October 30, 2021) is SAS 9.4 TS1M7, Rev. 940_21w35, which will install the following products:

• Base SAS, SAS Studio 3.81, SAS Enterprise Guide 8.3, and the other products in the SAS Education Analytic Suite
• SAS Enterprise Miner 15.2
• SAS Text Miner 15.2

For additional information on SAS Enterprise Miner / Text Miner, please see SAS Enterprise Miner/Text Miner.

SAS 9.4 for Linux

Download the SAS 9.4 Linux Installation Instructions document for instructions on installing SAS 9.4.  Base SAS and the other products in the SAS Education Analytical Suite will be installed.

Renew License

• SAS 9.4 Windows Renewal Instructions
• SAS Linux Renewal Instructions

SAS On A Mac

SAS, per se, is not available for the Macintosh, only for Windows and Linux.  However, there are some options available to allow you to use SAS on a Mac:

• There is a free version of SAS that can be used on the Mac (it is "real" SAS).  See the Free SAS discussion, just below.
• You can install either Windows or Linux on a Macintosh, and then install and use SAS within that Windows or Linux environment.  For information about obtaining and installing Windows, please see Windows on a Mac
• You can access SAS via the App2Go server.  Researchers can also access SAS on the Koti Linux server.  These two options are discussed below.

Other Ways to Access SAS

SAS is available for teaching and research use via alternate sources:

• Free SAS - There is a free version of SAS that can be used directly on Windows, Mac, and Linux.  It is known as SAS OnDemand for Academics, or just "SAS OnDemand".  It runs in the cloud (no installation necessary), and you access it via a web browser.  This is "real" SAS and is provided by SAS, Inc.  It can only be used for learning and educational purposes or for academic research at VCU that is not being published for profit.  For more information, please see Free SAS.
• SAS on the VCU App2Go Server - If you need quick access to SAS, the software may be accessed from the App2Go server via a web browser.  App2Go provides you access to SAS (and several other applications) virtually.  SAS appears to be running on your local computer, and you can open and save files on your computer and print on your local printer.  More information is provided on the App2Go website and how to use the app2Go server.  Applications on the App2Go server cannot be used in classroom settings.
• SAS on a VCU Linux Server - Koti is a central Linux server that provides access to SAS for researchers.  SAS may be run in batch mode or interactive mode, or by using in conjunction with SAS on your PC.

Questions

How to determine what version you are running?

1. Launch SAS.
2. The SAS Log window will contain NOTEs which display the SAS version number and operating system platform.

How to find your SAS license expiration date?

To determine when your SAS software will expire, submit the following SAS program, and then look in the SAS Log window (note the two semi-colons):

Note that SAS will continue to run during a 90 day grace period beyond the expiration date that is displayed.

 

 

Training & Support

There are a number of training resources, consultation and technicial support services availalbe to faculty, staff and students. The list of available resources is listed below.

SAS Documentation and Resources

• SAS Documentation - Online books and documentation.
• SAS Support and Resources - Knowledge bases, webinars, technical chat, support groups, conferences, etc.

Self-Paced Learning

• SAS e-Learning Courses - These are interactive video tutorials that are hosted on the SAS Academic Hub website.  They allow you to learn basic, intermediate, and advanced SAS concepts and skills.  They can be used to support academic instruction and research ONLY by current VCU students, faculty, and staff.

  Current VCU students, faculty, and staff can gain FREE access to these SAS e-Learning courses as follows:

  1. Visit:  Free SAS E-Learning for Academics
  2. Click either the For Educators or For Students button (they both get you to the same courses).
  3. Scroll down a bit and click the Register for the SAS Academic Hub button.
  4. On the next screen, login with your SAS profile (or click the Create profile button to create a free SAS profile).
  5. Follow the directions presented for accessing e-Learning and go through the checkout process.  During checkout, be sure to use your vcu.edu email address.
  6. An email will be sent to you with an activation code and instructions for accessing the courses.  If you encounter any problems or have questions, please email academic@sas.com.

  Here is a partial list of the available topics (as of July 2021):

  • Applied Analytics using SAS Enterprise Miner
  • JMP software:  A Case Study Approach to Data Exploration
  • JMP software:  ANOVA and Regression
  • JMP software:  Classic Design of Experiments
  • JMP software:  Custom Design of Experiments
  • JMP software:  Instant Applications using JMP Application Builder
  • JMP software:  Stability Analysis
  • JMP software:  Statistical Thinking for Industrial Problem Solving
  • Machine Learning Using SAS Viya
  • Predictive Modeling Using Logistic Regression
  • Programming for SAS Viya (3.5)
  • SAS Certification Review: SAS 9.4 Base Programming Performance-Based Exam
  • SAS Enterprise Guide 1: Querying and Reporting
  • SAS Enterprise Guide 2: Advanced Tasks and Querying
  • SAS Enterprise Guide: ANOVA, Regression, and Logistic Regression
  • SAS Macro 1: Essentials
  • SAS Macro 2: Advanced Techniques
  • SAS Programming 1: Essential
  • SAS Programming 2: Data Manipulation Techniques
  • SAS Programming 3: Advanced Techniques and Efficiencies
  • SAS SQL 1: Essentials
  • SAS Visual Analytics 1 for SAS Viya: Basics
  • SAS Visual Analytics 2 for SAS Viya: Advanced
  • Statistics 1: Introduction to ANOVA, Regression, and Logistic Regression
  • Using SAS Viya REST APIs with Python and R (3.4)
• SAS Help Videos - A series of web-based help videos for learning SAS, created by VCU's Dr. Ed Boone (the SAS videos are near the bottom of this page).
• O`Reilly for Higher Education - SAS video tutorials and other online SAS resources are available at no cost to VCU students, faculty, and staff.  To access these, sign in with your VCU eID and password, then search for SAS, then select your desired format.
• LinkedIn Learning - SAS video tutorials are available at LinkedIn Learning, at no cost to VCU students, faculty, and staff.  To access these, start at VCU LinkedIn Learning, click the Login to LinkedIn Learning button and login with your VCU eID and password.  Then, at the LinkedIn Learning website, search for "SAS".

Instructor-Led SAS Classes at SAS Inc.

SAS Institute Training SAS Courses - SAS Institute offers an extensive selection of public course offerings.  Nearest training locations are Arlington, VA, Washington DC, and Cary, NC.  VCU faculty, staff, and students are eligible for a 50% educational discount on most SAS Institute public training courses, certification exams, and e-Learning courses.

SAS and Statistical Consulting Services at VCU

The VCU Department of Statistical Sciences and Operations Research provides a variety of consulting services through the Statistics and Analytics Consulting Lab.  Inquiries and appointment requests may be directed to statconsult@vcu.edu.

Technical Support

If you have difficulty installing, licensing, or running SAS, please submit a ticket with the VCU IT Support Center for assistance.