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Cornell University

Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative

As common as possible, as different as necessary

Welcome


As a leading university in the nation and the world, Cornell needs technology services that enhance our community’s pursuit of our mission “to do the greatest good.”

The Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI) will unify and improve the university’s systems and processes to better serve our entire community—faculty, researchers, clinicians, students, staff, alumni, partners, and donors. By creating more efficient and user-friendly experiences, CEMI will enable our community members to focus on what matters most: advancing Cornell’s mission.

As common as possible, as different as necessary

collage of two very similar sedans and a tractor

At Cornell, our exceptional work deserves exceptional systems. CEMI starts with a simple principle: use common technologies and processes across the university, making exceptions only for what truly makes Cornell unique.

“As common as possible, as different as necessary” is the guiding principle to reflect the CEMI vision for administrative and financial systems across our campuses in Ithaca, New York City, and Doha. Common solutions will allow information to flow seamlessly among campuses, enabling everyone to easily get the answers they need. We’ll maintain unique solutions only where truly necessary.

What’s in it for me?

a group of staff members in working groups

CEMI sounds like “See Me” because everyone who uses Cornell’s financial and administrative systems will benefit. Our students, patients, partners, donors, alumni, parents, and others deserve intuitive, seamless interactions that help them accomplish their goals. Imagine having:

  • seamlessly integrated systems with real-time access to data across colleges, units, and campuses
  • streamlined workflows
  • fewer repetitive and manual tasks

These improvements will allow our community to focus on what matters most, while offering opportunities to develop new skills and do their work in a modern, unified ecosystem.

 

Let’s get rid of the Big Red Tape

Scissors cutting red ribbon, close-up view on blue background

Currently, our administrative services span multiple systems across our global campuses, with different groups using different tools and processes to accomplish the same tasks. This fragmentation leads to duplicated effort, inconsistent processes, cumbersome reporting, and challenges in decision-making.

CEMI will unify these disparate systems, creating an integrated environment that

  • Streamlines workflows
  • Standardizes processes
  • Simplifies reporting
  • Enables real-time access to reliable data
  • Fosters collaboration across campuses

 

Save time and resources

Four people smiling in a medical lab

CEMI will address two critical needs: freeing our community from time-consuming workarounds and manual processes, and generating significant cost savings through system consolidation and standardization.

  • Technology simplification: Many of our current systems are aging and require significant investment just to maintain the status quo. Rather than continuing to invest in maintaining multiple legacy systems, CEMI will consolidate our platforms, reducing both costs and complexity. This consolidation will also lower institutional risk and simplify regulatory compliance and security by reducing the number of systems we need to maintain and protect.
  • Process simplification: Moving to integrated systems will enable the university to build seamless processes across colleges, units, and campuses, and drastically reduce the need for “shadow” systems. Determining how to standardize processes and achieve more efficient ways of working together will be key drivers. This transformation will support the university mission by redirecting resources from maintaining outdated systems to advancing Cornell’s strategic priorities.

 

Latest CEMI News

CEMI Webinar April 30, 2025
On April 30 2025, Cornell University Chief Global Information Officer Curtis Cole summarized the analyses completed and described the challenges ahead as well as progress for several of the readiness inititiatives. To access the recording, please choose the link based on your login:
Get Involved
The project team welcomes additional insights and feedback. To get involved in the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI, pronounced "See Me"), login with your Cornell NetID or Weill Cornell Medicine CWID and provide your contact information and ideas. Get Involved – Cornell NetID login Get Involved – Weill Cornell Medicine …
CEMI Program Update with Curt Cole
On February 12, 2025, Cornell University Chief Global Information Officer Curtis Cole shared reflections about the readiness assessment phase of a multi-year program to unify and improve the systems used on all of Cornell’s campuses to support administrative services like human resources, finance, budget, student services, research, and donor engagement. …
Influencing Big Changes through Many Conversations
“We all thrive when we engage, listen, and learn from one another,” said Ben Maddox, Chief Information Officer for Cornell's Ithaca campus and Cornell Tech. He said incorporating the diverse perspectives of stakeholders, including student, faculty, and staff community members, IT professionals, system users, and decision-makers, will be critical to …
Strategies for Navigating Change
Cornell's Chief Global Information Officer Curtis Cole joined Ithaca and Cornell Tech Chief Information Officer Ben Maddox and two other keynote speakers to discuss strategies for navigating change. Each of the keynote speakers shared different perspectives of change and how it impacts individuals. The people-focused aspect of a transition is …

More news

Cornell University Chief Global Information Officer

Improving the user experience advances the university’s mission

Because the university’s IT environment is characterized by high technical debt, duplication of systems, and a highly distributed structure, our community is presented with a very painful user experience to accomplish their daily activities.

Through the CEMI program, we can unify and improve the systems and processes used across Cornell’s campuses to support administrative services like human resources, finance, budget, student services, research, and donor and engagement experience. Streamlined processes and future-ready systems will help advance the university’s mission.

Curtis Cole, Cornell University Chief Global Information Officer

Cornell University Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Christopher Cowen

Unified data leads to better decisions

When data is inconsistent, categorized differently, or unable to be aggregated and analyzed collectively, it impedes our ability to make informed decisions regarding the allocation of resources to institutional priorities.

We should be able to focus on data analysis rather than data accumulation.

Through CEMI, everyone will feel the difference, not only those responsible for the reporting, but most importantly our community—students, faculty, alumni, and staff who will benefit from a much-improved process and interaction.

Christopher Cowen, Cornell University Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Visit the Program Teams page to meet more of the Cornell community members shaping the CEMI program.

Veterinary Medicine student writes on a whiteboard

Contribute your skills and experience to CEMI (“See Me”). Community members know the current processes and systems best—and what it’s going to take to change how we do things. Please submit the form for your campus to be added to the contributors list and receive quarterly updates: