If the Learning Edition is installed correctly, you should find the SAS executable:
sas.exe
somewhere on your system. If you double click that .EXE file, it should launch an interactive SAS session. If you try to launch SAS interactively using the SAS.EXE program and SAS will not launch, there are several possibilities, which are outlined here:
http://support.sas.com/kb/11/065.html (contains some instructions for how to send info to Tech Support for certain connection problems with the LE)
http://support.sas.com/learn/le/notes/11/066.html
And some links to general LE infomation:
http://support.sas.com/learn/le/require.html (says the LE is not supported on Vista)
http://support.sas.com/learn/le/product/index.html
http://support.sas.com/learn/le/install/index.html
http://support.sas.com/learn/le/tech/index.html
Working with your university Tech Support will be a good idea, there were various releases of the Learning Edition and some of them expired. The only current version of the Learning Edition has an expiration date in 2011 -- but if you got an earlier CD with an earlier expiration date, it is possible that you just need to get an LE CD with a later expiration date or you may need to use the LE on a non-Vista computer.
cynthia