As Cornell University’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Christopher Cowen spends most of his time thinking about data and the stories it reveals about the institution’s funding needs and resources.

“I believe that access to and the ability to utilize and interpret data are essential to making informed strategic decisions,” said Cowen. “When data is inconsistent, categorized differently, or unable to be aggregated and analyzed collectively, it impedes our ability to make informed decisions regarding allocation of resources to institutional priorities. This means we either make suboptimal decisions, or we continue to make decisions in silos that erect barriers across campuses.”

Viewing the university’s fiscal landscape in a single frame requires a more efficient and complete data pipeline — one that is not possible to construct at present. This limitation is one factor that led Cowen to join with partners across Cornell to launch the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI), of which Cowen is one of the executive sponsors.

Through CEMI, the sponsors and partners seek to unify and improve the technology systems used on all university campuses to support human resources, finance, student services, research, and advancement. These technology services need to support our community as we strive to achieve the ambitious goals Cornell has as a leading research institution in the nation and the world.

“A holistic reporting tool would permit a better understanding of the university’s needs and opportunities, and a degree of confidence in the information that is lacking in our current non-integrated system,” said Cowen. “The CEMI effort will have the effect of not only providing a technical solution but also supplying us with the information to advance our institutional priorities in an efficient manner and provide the ability to report on our successes and shortcomings and thereby make appropriate adjustments.”

The cohort of data collection, storage, and reporting systems Cowen relies on includes those used by Cornell Tech as well as solutions Weill Cornell Medicine in New York and Qatar may share with their hospital partners, patients, and donors. To better understand the complex collection of systems used daily by thousands of Cornell community members and to suggest a plan for achieving a more cohesive outcome, the university engaged Huron Consulting Group for a six-month evaluation.

As the CFO for a university known for its rigorous academics, Cowen hopes Huron will be a tough grader. He wants a straightforward assessment pointing out preconceived objectives that may not be feasible and suggesting alternate models that could lead to greater efficiencies.

“My hope is that Huron will provide us with an honest evaluation of where we are and what we need to do to be best positioned to realize the benefits of what for many of us will be a once-in-a-career transformation,” said Cowen. “That is an exciting opportunity, but one that requires a substantial amount of preparation to minimize cost and maximize results."

Regardless of Huron’s assessment, Cowen recognizes the path forward will require the adjustment of internal practices to maximize new systems and processes. “We need to be realistic, challenged, and excited, and we need to be honest with ourselves about the changes we must embrace organizationally and personally.”

Cowen wants Cornell’s reporting solutions to be an aid and not an impediment to completing work effectively and making timely decisions. “We should be able to focus on data analysis rather than data accumulation,” Cowen said. “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.”