CEMI News & Momentum Stories
More than 200 university leaders and colleagues came together to launch the Architect and Configure phase of Cornell’s Workday implementation, marking a clear shift from preparation to sustained, hands-on work. This phase is about designing the foundation that will support how the university works for years to come.
During this phase, colleagues from the human resources, finance, budget, source to pay, technical, and change management teams are working on the core processes, data structures, and decision frameworks that shape how work gets done across campuses, colleges, schools, and units. The aim is practical but ambitious: systems that respect people’s time, support the work they do every day, and feel intentionally designed for how Cornell operates now—and where it’s headed next.
Designing with the Whole University in Mind
Everyone involved was challenged to look beyond local practices and design with a One Cornell mindset. Architecture, in this context, means deciding what should be shared across the university, where differences are truly necessary, and where long-standing workarounds have added complexity that can be removed.
That responsibility was framed in human terms. Each person was asked to think of themselves as a trustee of other people’s time. The decisions being made in this phase will determine how many steps it takes, for example, to hire someone, approve a transaction, or move work forward—not just at go-live, but every day after.
The guiding CEMI principle anchored the conversation: as common as possible, as different as absolutely necessary. Exceptions are being considered deliberately, only when they meaningfully advance the university’s mission.
Building for Flexibility, Not Perfection
The work ahead is happening in conditions of ongoing change, financial pressure, rapid technological shifts, and real fatigue across the university. Rather than trying to design for every possible future, teams are creating a flexible foundation—shared processes, consistent data, and clear governance—that allows Cornell to adapt as needs evolve.
The emphasis throughout was on progress rather than perfection. What matters most is having a clear structure for surfacing issues early, making informed decisions, and adjusting course as needed.
Turning Alignment into Action
As the kickoff moved into breakout sessions, the emphasis shifted from setting direction to putting shared understanding into practice. Colleagues aligned on how decisions will be made and how the Architect and Configure phase will design the future state, identify key dependencies, and capture open questions to address at the right time.
Rather than avoiding complexity, teams surfaced it early and gave it structure. Differences across campuses, regulatory needs, integrations, and foundational choices were named, assigned owners, and built into the work ahead. Technology work will follow those decisions, ensuring the system supports how the university chooses to work, not the other way around.
By the end of the kickoff, people left with more than energy. They shared a clearer sense of how decisions will be made and how much their choices matter to colleagues across the university.
As the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI or “See Me”) moves forward, we’re looking for Cornell colleagues from across the university to help shape this transformation. Opportunities within CEMI are not limited to technical roles; they span a range of areas including administration, finance, communications, change management, data analysis, and project coordination. Whether your strengths lie in problem-solving, collaboration, or innovation, your skills can make a meaningful contribution.
Backfill Roles As Well
To support this work, there will be limited-term opportunities available across the university to backfill critical roles for colleagues who transition to the CEMI project. These backfill positions are essential to sustaining operations and ensuring continuity in our colleges and units while enabling broad participation in this important initiative. At the same time, we are approaching these opportunities with care and intention, balancing operational needs with our current environment of financial austerity.
Two roles have been posted in round one and more roles are coming in the next round. Standardizing job descriptions across the university will advance postings for the second round more quickly.
Read more about these types of roles in the HR news story, “Be a Part of Cornell’s Digital Future – Join the CEMI Project!“
Each quater, Curt Cole shares updates and answers questions about CEMI in a virtual Town Hall. His roles as Cornell’s Vice President and Chief Global Information Officer and one of CEMI’s executive sponsors enable him to share significant milestones and also explain how the progress is shaped by team leaders across the university as well as the dependencies and expected impact of each step forward.
The next CEMI Town Hall is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, 2026, from 9:00am until 10:00am Eastern.
Register to receive the link to join.
As community members continue to navigate transitions across the university, the Focus on Change series can be used as a resource supporting reflection, learning, and conversation about these adjustments.
The previous story—”Why is Change so Hard?“—explored why change feels hard and how to better understand those reactions—particularly when familiar tools, routines, or ways of working are disrupted. This week’s article shows how preparation can serve as an anchor, providing steadiness as change continues to unfold.
Preparation as a Supportive Practice
Periods of transition often raise questions about priorities, workflows, and what future ways of working may look like. These reactions are common and reflect thoughtful engagement with change rather than resistance.
While not every aspect of organizational change is within individual control, developing skills and habits that support adaptability can help reduce uncertainty and make transitions feel more manageable.
Watch this three-minute Skillsoft video that follows an anonymous employee through a familiar workplace scenario. The video highlights characteristics that can support readiness for change, including flexibility, self-awareness, and respect for the time and space others may need to adjust. Together, these qualities contribute to steadier transitions and stronger collaboration.
Preparing for change builds on that understanding.
By developing flexibility, self-awareness, and mutual support, we can lessen the emotional weight of uncertainty. Preparation doesn’t make change disappear—but it can help us meet it with greater steadiness, both individually and together.
Over time, this type of preparation can:
- Increase confidence as new tools or processes are introduced
- Reduce stress during periods of uncertainty
- Support shared understanding within teams
Build on the Known
Understanding why change feels difficult helps normalize many commonly experienced responses, such as discomfort with uncertainty or the loss of familiar routines.
Preparation begins with identifying practical ways to support steadiness—both individually and collectively—during ongoing change. Preparation does not eliminate uncertainty, nor does it require having all the answers in advance. Instead, it emphasizes flexibility, openness to learning, and recognition that adjustment occurs over time and at different paces.
Start the Change Conversation
Meeting facilitators and team leaders can encourage reflection and connection by adding a five-minute discussion in a standing or previously scheduled meeting, using questions like these:
- What changes are we facing in our unit?
- Which ideas from the video are most relevant right now?
- How can we support one another as adjustments continue?
Cornell community members already contribute to the university culture that values learning, adaptability, and mutual support. These same efforts play an important role in helping teams navigate transitions with care and confidence.
Learn More
Additional resources related to navigating change are available through:
Previous Focus on Change feature: “Why is Change so Hard?”
This story originally appeared in IT News, part of a series of change management resources published by CIT and ITS.
As community members navigate their individual change journeys, CIT joins several other groups in sharing a news series called Focus on Change. Each article will include tips, resources, and prompts to encourage conversations and provide support through times of uncertainty.
This week’s feature—Why is Change So Hard?—breaks down some of that uncertainty by exploring why a suggested shift in tools or processes feels uncomfortable. Understanding why it’s hard is the first step toward making it easier to accept and embrace a change.
Watch the four-minute animated Skillsoft video that decodes common feelings about organizational change. In the video, you will accompany an anonymous employee through typical reactions to change, like their perception of personal threat, their resistance to changing the way they work, and losing the comfort and proficiency felt under the pre-change status quo.
Organizational change may be inevitable or necessary, but leaders must also address employee concerns and help show their team members the anticipated benefits of the successful change including career growth, job security, and new opportunities as previous routine tasks are streamlined.
Start the Change Conversation
Meeting facilitators and team leaders alike can use questions like these to guide conversations within their spheres of influence:
- What changes are happening for us right now? How do they relate to what we learned in the video?
- Have you ever experienced resistance to change personally? What made it so hard?
- How do habits or comfort zones influence our ability to adapt?
What can we do as a team to support one another during transitions?
An increasing number of community members have committed to embracing change and building a change resilient culture in the university, and that change is both noticed and appreciated by leaders across Cornell.
For more change journey tips, see these Cornell resources:
Previous Focus on Change feature: “Uncertain about What’s Next? That’s Part of the Process.”
This story originally appeared in IT News, part of a series of change management resources published by CIT and ITS.
“The whole point of CEMI is to improve the way people experience Cornell’s processes and technology,” said Curtis Cole, Vice President and Chief Global Information Officer, as he kicked off a February 18, 2026 Town Hall on the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI or “See Me”).
For many Cornell community members, CEMI can feel like a system upgrade, but it is a much broader and intentional cultural commitment to reshape administrative processes as well as the technology supporting these tasks.
Measuring Success
Cole emphasized the ultimate measure of CEMI’s success is its outcomes—student success, research impact, alumni engagement, public engagement, and patient care. Improvements to HR, finance, and student systems are essential steps, but the program’s focus extends far beyond software.
“The practical goal is simple: reduce administrative burden so Cornell community members can focus on the work that matters most—advancing the university’s mission,” said Cole.
For daily tasks, CEMI aims to eliminate repetitive data entry, streamline approvals, and reduce the number of disconnected systems users must navigate to accomplish their learning, teaching, research, and work.
Reducing Friction: A New Philosophy of Work
Cole highlighted the human impact of design decisions, noting that even small choices can significantly affect how others move through their day.
He said, “The people who design systems and processes are trustees of other people’s time.”
The goal is to make the right way the easy way—and eliminate unnecessary steps wherever possible. This philosophy, described in The Friction Project authored by two Stanford professors, is a cornerstone of CEMI’s approach.
Some solutions will involve new technology; others may be as simple as improving communication or aligning practices across units. A recent addition is the launch of new “accelerators”—collaborative groups that bring together staff with similar roles to identify shared pain points, share quick fixes, and recommend improvements.
Building a More Connected Cornell
One of Cole’s primary themes was the urgency of unifying Cornell’s fragmented technology ecosystem. Across the university, staff, faculty, researchers, clinicians, and students interact with multiple systems and applications, navigate different logins across campuses, and face hurdles in sharing information. These fragmented systems make collaboration harder, slow down administrative work, and limit the ability to see the full picture of people, processes, and data.
CEMI is making headway through major decisions and investments, including:
- Starting with a new Workday instance for HR, finance, and—eventually—student services (rather than building off the existing Workday used in Ithaca)
- Selecting Kindsight Ascend to support donor and engagement needs for all university locations
- Selecting Informatica and Boomi to support Cornell’s needs for unified data and analytics
- Mapping the paths students take from applying to graduating and beyond to improve current systems and inform future strategies
- Extending Salesforce to serve as the university-wide engagement system
- Improving how logins, directories, and more work across university locations
- Evaluating the existing applications that support HR, finance, and procurement processes
The guiding philosophy—“as common as possible, as different as absolutely necessary”—balances Cornell’s diverse local needs with the institutional need for consistency and connection.
Learn More and Stay Involved
Watch the full Town Hall recording, including the question and answer session.
Stay updated about CEMI through upcoming town halls, newsletters, and ongoing opportunities to join focus groups, discovery sessions, and accelerator teams.
Cornell’s CEMI initiative is reshaping how the university works by simplifying processes, reducing friction, and creating a more connected experience for students, faculty, and staff.
In his Town Hall on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Cornell Vice President and Chief Global Information officer (CGIO) Curtis Cole described how the program is bringing clarity to long‑standing administrative challenges while empowering teams to design better, more intuitive workflows. With major system upgrades underway and new opportunities for community involvement, CEMI is laying the foundation for a smoother, more unified Cornell.
Access those webinar recording using your campus login:
- Weill Cornell Medicine New York and Qatar: CEMI Webinar 2/18/2026
- Cornell Ithaca and Tech CEMI Webinar 2/18/2026
As the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative moves into active development across campus, it’s natural to wonder how the resulting changes will affect you directly. Will your job be harder or easier? Will it take more time to do my work? Will I enjoy my work after the change?
These are understandable and natural questions. The one thing that is absolutely crystal clear is that change is on the horizon for the foreseeable future.
That can be an uncomfortable place to be in, not only for you, but for everyone around you. Whether or not they realize it, this change and uncertainty will likely influence them in subtle (or overt) ways.
You can learn how different personality types react to change through the Recognize Your Response to Change video (5 min) on LinkedIn. This can help you understand and adapt to a changing work environment and possibly even an evolving personal landscape.
Change is a constant—and a catalyst. It pushes us to think differently, adapt quickly, and grow stronger as a community. To support you through this ongoing transformation, Cornell offers practical tools, resources, and guidance to help you navigate change with confidence and clarity.
This story originally appeared in IT News, part of a series of change management resources published by CIT and ITS.
Before committing to the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI or “See Me”), university leaders conducted readiness activities in Fall 2024. The results confirmed that Cornell community members are not only open to changing the status quo—they’re eager for it.
Not only have Cornell community members discovered new ways to accomplish their tasks, they are open to changing their approach. In their own words, participants at every campus expressed their dedication and pride in being part of the university’s mission and in their own work:
- Mission-Driven Commitment
Across all campuses, people are deeply dedicated to Cornell’s mission and ready to support it in every way they can. - Pride in Their Work
Individual pride in daily tasks fuels the university’s broader success. Community members see their roles as essential to Cornell’s achievements. - Everyday Innovation
Innovation thrives at every level. People are quick to recognize when tools fall short—and just as quick to create better ways of working. - Openness to Change
Despite Cornell’s long-standing traditions, stakeholders expressed genuine excitement about simplifying systems and improving the digital experience for everyone.
CEMI Teams Work in Tandem
Many Cornell’s community members are engaged in parallel activities designed to help prepare for and implement the new processes and tools introduced through CEMI.
In addition to working on a single system to unify every campus’s core administrative workflows and data in human resources, finance, budget, and eventually student services, and a shared a shared Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, CEMI teams are analyzing the many processes and applications that are used to connect legacy systems and get work done. For example, a common login is the focus of the Identity Management team.
Current teams and team members can be found in the Functional Area pages and more opportunities to participate are coming in 2026.
Brainstorm and Suggest Ways to Work Easier or Faster
Think about the current processes and systems you use on a daily, monthly, or annual basis and list your ideas for improvement. Don’t hesitate to identify bottlenecks or gaps that need to be addressed.
Brainstorm with teammates about what might be done differently if more modern tools and technologies were available. Submit group and individual suggestions to the CEMI Program team. Offer to participate in an activity or team that matches your interest and availability. If time is limited, join a one-time focus group to test a design or process iteration.
Look for the Contact Hub link on the Get Involved page to submit ideas and join the CEMI participants.
Introducing CEMI
Learn more about CEMI in the other stories in this series.
- CEMI 101: What is the Digital Experience?
- CEMI 102: Streamlining Broadly Used Systems
- CEMI 103: Modernizing the Cornell Digital Experience
The Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI or “See Me”) began with a push to streamline overlapping technology systems across campuses. After a year of community input and a six-month assessment by Huron consultancy, a 2025 report confirmed Cornell was ready—technologically and culturally—to unify and modernize the digital tools and systems that shape daily life on every campus.
Cornell community members will hear three phrases used frequently in CEMI discussions: modernize, digital experience, and new tools and best practices. Each represents a key component of improving the way everyone uses technology to accomplish their work and further their learning on a daily basis.
Modernize
Modernization means adopting today’s best tools and practices to support Cornell’s mission. It involves updating legacy and end-of-life systems and streamlining processes to work more efficiently across the university.
The Digital Experience
Every Cornell community member interacts with digital systems—whether registering for classes, managing research, or accessing services. These touchpoints form a shared digital experience that spans campuses and roles.
Using New Tools and Best Practices
Teams across Cornell are reviewing old processes and exploring new solutions. By aligning with current best practices in various areas such as information technology, education, research and administrative and clinical operations, they’re shaping a more connected, user-friendly digital environment for everyone.
Shaped by the Cornell Community
CEMI is building a strong foundation for smarter tools, better processes, and a more connected experience for students, faculty, staff, patients, donors, and researchers. In fact, community members know the current processes and systems best—and what it’s going to take to change and harmonize how we do things on each campus.
Look for the contact hub link on the Get Involved webpage to suggest improvements, add your process insights, volunteer for an activity, or join the mailing list.
Introducing CEMI
Learn more about CEMI concepts in the next article in this series, CEMI 104: Imagine Working Easier or Faster
