Enterprise Architecture
Information technology at Cornell benefits from a coordinated approach to the development, acquisition, and deployment of IT products and service. To best enable this value Cornell has a suite of service development obligations which, in whole, represent Cornell’s Enterprise IT Architecture.
This article applies to: Information Technology Governance
Administration
The Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI) is a multi-year program designed to improve the experience of students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, patients, and partners by unifying and enhancing administrative systems and processes across all Cornell University locations. Its name CEMI is said as “See Me” because the focus is on you: the people who use Cornell’s systems and data to accomplish your goals.
The five primary technology targets CEMI’s stakeholders and participants will address are:
- Data and Analytics for unified campus reporting. This will not only meet an urgent need, but it will help identify problems that need to be addressed in the new solution.
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as Kuali/KFS, Jenzabar, PeopleSoft, SAP, SuccessFactors, and Workday. Each of these has a related ecosystem of supporting systems for specialized functions like procurement or financial aid.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems like Slate and Salesforce. These are being examined as possible tools for filling gaps or improving the experience of a new unified system.
- “Gap Apps” or smaller ERP or CRM adjacent solutions that have developed over time to fill functions that should be in the core systems but were missing or not optimal at the time these systems were adopted.
- Identity Management for a unified login across our major campuses. For example, Ithaca and Cornell Tech use NetIDs while Weill Cornell Medicine’s campuses use CWIDs, which they share with New York Presbyterian and Columbia. This is a very complex problem with important security and usability implications.
IT Security
Security of Cornell’s data and infrastructure falls under the purview of the Information Technology Security Office. This includes device safety, adhering to applicable “gold standard” guidelines, technology risk assessments, preventing and recovering from data compromise, IT security training, data privacy, and more.
Privacy, Compliance, and Risk
The University Privacy team provides guidance and resources to help navigate Cornell's regulatory obligations, ethical principles, and uphold Cornell’s values as it relates to the curation and use of personal information. University Privacy partners with colleges, units, and departments to foster a culture of compliance and ethics through the University Privacy Principles. This includes consulting, conducting privacy impact and risk assessments for contracts and business processes, training and outreach activities, and facilitating data privacy breach response and investigations.
Cloud Infrastructure
Cloud infrastructure focuses on cloud-based applications, data storage, web site development, and compute cycles to help the Cornell community move to powerful, low-cost cloud infrastructure services. Cornell has enterprise agreements with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.
Artificial Intelligence
Cornell’s approach to artificial intelligence services is built on four key pillars, guided by university-wide task force recommendations spanning education, research, and administration. Cornell IT provides a range of generative AI tools and services to support innovation, experimentation, and development. An AI Advisory Council shapes strategic priorities, policy, and ethical practices in support of Cornell’s mission while maintaining appropriate governance and standards.
Accessibility
Cornell University is committed to the goal of providing an accessible, usable and welcoming environment for faculty, staff, students and visitors with disabilities. In the Information Technology sphere, this includes web accessibility, assistive technology, assistive listening devices, and SensusAccess a tool to increase the accessibility of digital documents. Details, and additional information about non-digital accessibility support, are available online.
Policies
Cornell's IT policies exist to maintain, secure, and ensure the legal and appropriate use of the university's information technology infrastructure. Security and privacy policies work together to provide the campus community with a high-quality, trusted, and secure campus computing environment. They also help protect and secure property interests, data, and intellectual property.
Governance
Cornell's Shared Information Technology Governance framework relies on collaboration across campus. Specialized committees focused on education, research, administration, and campus community technology coordinate with established groups like Cornell Information Technology, Information Technology Service Groups, College Business Officers, Faculty Senate and Student Assembly. This shared approach ensures that diverse voices guide technology decisions that support the Cornell mission.
Audio-Visual Standards
Cornell’s audio-visual standards are a set of documents, underlying services, and processes that allow colleges, units, and construction projects to produce consistent classroom and conference room technology experiences in support of teaching and learning activities.
Other Cornell Partners
CIT partners with the following Cornell units and departments to support and develop Enterprise Architecture:
Comments?
To share feedback about this page or request support, log in with your NetID