CEMI News & Momentum Stories
In mid-April, the university kicked off the unified effort to use Kindsight Ascend to bring several of Cornell’s legacy systems and processes into one connected donor and engagement. Through two days of high-energy conversations and planning, participants began translating ambition into action—aligning on priorities and building momentum for the transformation ahead.
Turning Vision into Action
Kindsight Ascend provides a platform where Cornell can transform fragmented threads into a cohesive whole—one that is stronger, more aligned, and built to support Cornell’s shared goals to improve the donor and engagement experience. This significant undertaking is only one aspect of the broader Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI).
Driven by the same goals of a more connected, collaborative, and insight-driven way of working, the Donor and Engagement Experience Project is leveraging Kindsight Ascend in its move to a future where:
- Shared technologies and processes align our work across all business units.
- Data is clearer, more accessible, and easier to use for decision-making.
- Engagement strategies are informed by real-time insights.
- Best practices guide our work, with customization only where it truly matters.
- Strong partnerships—across Cornell and with its vendors—are built on transparency and trust.
The goal is simple to say, but complex to achieve: to better understand, engage, and steward the people who make Cornell’s mission possible.
A Community Effort
In the coming months, there will be expanding opportunities for staff to join the technical and functional teams already working on this initiative. Through the change network and testing, colleagues can help shape communications and training, surface questions early, and influence how the system works day to day—ensuring it truly supports the people who rely on it.
Momentum, Together
The implementation roadmap is organized into a series of major epics to progress from foundational work through core fundraising and engagement capabilities until launch in mid-2027.
The team is doing biographical data and system validation work now. In just 45 days, teams identified 558 use cases and documented 174 key decisions—bringing the biographical data and system validation phase to approximately 12% completion and marking a strong start to the implementation.
The Kindsight Ascend kickoff made one thing clear: this effort to improve the donor and engagement experience brings together the expertise, dedication, and collaborative spirit needed to succeed. This is just the beginning. The transition—and the people driving it—are already moving forward together.
Two of the primary focus areas of the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative have entered a pivotal new stage—the build phase— where teams are configuring systems and defining how key administrative processes will operate across the university.
For the Cornell community, this marks a step toward a more consistent and streamlined experience for everyday activities like hiring, getting paid, managing budgets, and accessing financial information across all campuses.
In the May 6, 2026, CEMI Town Hall, Curt Cole, Vice President and Chief Global Information Officer, shared that Workday, the system that will be used for HR, finance, budget, and eventually student services, entered its build phase in late March. Workday is already used on the Ithaca campus for HR, and this phase represents a broader effort to redesign and expand it to meet the needs of the entire university.
Cole also noted that the donor and engagement experience system, Kindsight Ascend, began its build phase in April. The data and analytics program is approaching its own build phase, and student services continues pre-build work. Together, these efforts represent a significant transformation: redesigning and implementing systems and processes to improve the digital experience of every Cornell community member.
At the Town Hall, two university leaders shared a closer look at early progress within the Workday program. Eric Saidel, Assistant Vice Provost for Human Resources at Weill Cornell Medicine, and Cara Squicciarini, Interim University Controller, highlighted how teams are translating plans into system configuration and process improvements.
Reimagining HR: Consistency, Mobility, and Clearer Pathways
Saidel described an extensive, cross-campus effort to create a more unified and intuitive HR experience. Teams from across Cornell are examining how work happens today and identifying opportunities to better align processes.
A key priority is reducing fragmentation between campuses and systems. Today, even routine activities such as transferring to a new role or moving between locations can require navigating entirely separate processes and tools. The goal is a more seamless experience supported by shared systems, consistent workflows, and clearer organizational structures.
Work underway includes developing a common job architecture and aligning recruiting and performance processes. This and other work will provide greater transparency for both employees and managers.
Transforming Finance: Simpler Processes, Stronger Insight
Squicciarini highlighted similar progress in the finance space, where teams across campuses and functions are working to simplify complex processes and improve access to information.
Current efforts focus on reducing manual steps, improving visibility into transaction workflows, and enabling more timely, reliable reporting. These changes aim to make common tasks—such as tracking budgets, managing approvals, and accessing financial data—more straightforward and efficient.
Beyond day-to-day improvements, the future Workday environment is expected to strengthen internal controls and support better decision-making through more consistent and accessible financial data across the university.
Supporting the Work: Targeted AI Use and Community Engagement
While the primary focus remains on setting up Workday to meet Cornell’s needs, the Town Hall also touched on how AI and community perspectives are supporting the effort.
Cole described a measured, practical approach to AI, using it selectively to assist with tasks such as data cleanup, documentation, and other time-intensive implementation work.
Equally important is the involvement of the people who carry out these processes every day. Their participation in workshops, design sessions, and reviews continues to shape how the system is configured, helping ensure it reflects how work actually happens throughout Cornell.
A sincere thank you to everyone who participated in the CEMI-DEEP Phase 1 Kickoff! Your enthusiasm, engagement, and thoughtful participation helped make the event a strong start to this important next chapter of the program. We’re excited to continue building momentum together as we move deeper into planning, discovery, and implementation activities across the initiative.
📅 Major Progress Update: Epic Timelines and Bio/Demo Milestones
We’re excited to share a detailed look at the current DEEP implementation roadmap and the progress already underway within our first major workstream. Please feel free to share this update with your teams and colleagues as appropriate. This communication has been shared with stakeholders and partners across Ithaca, Cornell Tech, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Weill Cornell Medicine.
Epic Timeline Overview
Below is the current projected timeline for each major implementation epic:
- Epic 1 – Bio Demo: 03/23/26 – 08/06/26
- Epic 2 – Campaigns: 07/13/26 – 09/11/26
- Epic 3 – Gift Processing: 08/21/26 – 01/05/27
- Epic 4 – Prospect Research/Manager: 11/11/26 – 03/25/27
- Epic 5 – Membership & Engagement: 02/12/27 – 06/10/27
- Epic 6 – Backlog: 04/49/27 – 07/01/27
- Epic 7 – Security and Permissions: 05/07/27 – 07/23/27
Bio/Demo Epic Progress
The Bio/Demo Epic has already seen significant engagement and collaboration across teams:
- 45 days of active work completed
- 558 use cases identified and reviewed
- 174 decisions documented
- 12% complete overall
These numbers represent an incredible amount of cross-functional collaboration and thoughtful analysis in a relatively short amount of time. Thank you to everyone contributing their expertise and helping move this work forward.
🔍 NEXT STEPS
As we continue progressing through the Bio/Demo Epic, teams will remain focused on discovery sessions, requirements validation, and decision documentation. Additional collaboration opportunities will continue throughout the upcoming campaign and gift processing phases.
We’re also preparing for future volunteer participation opportunities in key project activities, including:
- Change Network: This helps ensure DEEP communications and enablement are grounded in unit realities by surfacing questions and feedback early, testing messages, and supporting peers as DEEP activities increase. If you’re interested in joining the Change Network, please email Tracy Cary (tlc47@cornell.edu).
- Testing: Testing throughout the project will be vital in ensuring the new systems are working as intended. If you’re interested in helping, you can fill out the form on the CEMI site.
More information on how to participate will be shared in upcoming communications. We encourage staff members interested in supporting training, testing, and change readiness efforts to stay engaged.
⚙️ BIG PICTURE / PROGRAM CONTEXT
A quick reminder: The Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI) – Donor and Engagement Experience Project (DEEP) is a multi-year initiative focused on modernizing engagement, fundraising, and operational systems across Cornell.
The future-state platform is expected to provide several long-term benefits, including:
- Use common technologies and processes configured to reflect Cornell’s shared goals across the business units.
- Improving how we understand, engage, and steward our alumni, grateful patients, and friends.
- Prioritizing out-of-the-box features and best-practice models, customizing only when essential to Cornell’s mission or compliance requirements.
- Focus technology, process, and data improvements to provide front-line fundraisers and engagement teams with real-time insights that convert relationships into results.
- Data governance that spans all partners to maintain clarity on data ownership, integration standards, and stewardship roles to provide data that is easy to access and analyze to support evidence-based decisions across the function.
- Partnerships built across Cornell, and with our vendors, through collaboration, open communication, trust, and transparency.
These improvements are designed to support a more connected, efficient, and collaborative experience for staff and stakeholders across the university ecosystem.
🎉 CONCLUSION
Thank you again to everyone contributing time, expertise, and energy to this effort. The strong engagement we’ve already seen during kickoff and the early implementation phases reflects the collaborative spirit driving this initiative forward.
We’ll continue providing regular updates as milestones are achieved and additional opportunities for involvement become available. Thanks for following along—we’re excited for what’s ahead!
Each quarter, 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 most recent webinar was Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 9-10:00am ET. Access those webinar recording using your campus login:
- Weill Cornell Medicine New York and Qatar: CEMI Webinar 5/6/2026
- Cornell Ithaca and Tech CEMI Webinar 5/6/2026
Change triggers both emotional and physical responses, and a quick series of changes or a change that impacts many parts of work at once can leave employees feeling tired, distracted, or unsettled. These responses aren’t a weakness. They reflect a natural physiological response to learning, adjusting, and forming new patterns.
Understanding why change feels uncomfortable is one step toward making it easier to live and work through.
Why Change Takes So Much Energy
Watch the animated four-minute Skillsoft video to learn why change feels so difficult. The final minute of the video dives into potential benefits.
Despite benefits or opportunities, change can feel mentally demanding and draining over time. Pursue skills and behaviors that can ease the fatigue and strain that often accompany learning something new or adapting to unfamiliar situations.
Taking action enables individual community members to gradually build their comfort and confidence during change. Tips for making change more comfortable include:
- Break change into smaller steps and allow time for repetition. New skills and processes become easier through consistent practice, not instant mastery. Giving yourself permission to repeat tasks and learn gradually reduces pressure and builds confidence over time.
- Seek clarity early and often. Asking questions, confirming expectations, and understanding priorities helps reduce the uncertainty that makes change feel overwhelming.
- Reframe challenges as part of the learning process. Instead of seeing difficulty as a sign something is wrong, recognize it as evidence that you’re stretching and growing. This shift in perspective lowers resistance and builds resilience.
- Lean on others for support. Sharing experiences, comparing approaches, and asking for help can reduce isolation and accelerate learning.
Broad changes in an organization, like Resilient Cornell or the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI or “See Me”) ripple across the workforce. New tools, updated processes, evolving structures, and shifting priorities can prompt people to think and work differently—sometimes all at once.
That kind of broad organizational change will place sustained demands on individuals, teams, and the organization as a whole. These transitions often feel more manageable when they are addressed early and reinforced consistently by the people experiencing them firsthand.
Making Space for Comfort and Care
Comfort during change does not mean removing all difficulty. It means recognizing that discomfort is part of the process and creating conditions that help people navigate it with greater steadiness.
Open conversations, peer support, clear communication, and patience all contribute to an environment where adaptation feels more supported over time. These shared practices can help change feel less isolating and easier to absorb.
Start the Change Conversation
Meeting facilitators and team leaders can use questions like these to encourage reflection and dialogue:
- Which changes are impacting our day-to-day work right now, and how?
- What helps, or could help, make those changes easier to absorb?
- How can we look out for each other as we adjust?
Building on What We’ve Learned
Earlier Focus on Change articles explored why change feels hard and how preparation can provide stability during uncertainty. Making change more comfortable builds on those ideas.
By understanding how change affects people—and by supporting one another through it—some of the strain that accompanies ongoing transitions can be reduced. Comfort may not arrive all at once, but it can grow through awareness, experience, and care.
For more change journey tips, see these Cornell resources:
Previous Focus on Change feature: “How to Prepare for Change”
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!“
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.