When members of Cornell's Service Management Special Interest Group (SIG) gathered recently to discuss knowledge management, they weren't just talking about documentation. They were tackling a challenge familiar to nearly every IT organization: how to make information easier to find, share, and maintain so teams can work more efficiently and provide better support.

"Knowledge management is something nearly every IT team thinks about, but it's often difficult to tackle alone," said Laurie Hemmings, assistant director of communications and documentation in Central IT. "SIGs create opportunities for people to learn from one another, share ideas, and help shape solutions that benefit the broader Cornell community."

The discussion reflects a growing interest in Special Interest Groups across Cornell IT. Participation in both the Service Management and IT Security SIGs has increased as more staff seek opportunities to connect with peers, exchange ideas, and collaborate on challenges that extend beyond a single department or unit.

That interest aligns naturally with Cornell's federated IT model, which encourages connections across colleges, units, and campuses. SIGs provide a forum where technologists can share experiences, explore emerging issues, and learn from one another regardless of organizational boundaries.

The Service Management SIG's discussion on knowledge management offered a clear example. Participants explored what an effective shared knowledge management process could look like at Cornell, discussed challenges they encounter in their daily work, and exchanged ideas for improving how information is created, maintained, and discovered. The conversation highlighted one of the key strengths of SIGs: bringing together people with different experiences and perspectives around a common topic.

Whether the topic is cybersecurity, service management, or another area of shared interest, SIGs offer a welcoming space for conversation, collaboration, and professional growth. Participants can gain practical insights, build connections across Cornell's distributed IT community, and contribute ideas that may help inform future initiatives.

The annual IT Security SIG Ice Cream Social recently drew its largest turnout to date. While the ice cream may have helped attract attendees, the conversations kept them engaged. Across Cornell IT, that's becoming a familiar theme: people come for the topic, but they return for the opportunity to learn from colleagues, share experiences, and tackle challenges together.

The ice cream may have brought people together, but the conversations are what keep them coming back.

Find a SIG to match your interest

• The Audio/Video SIG has evolved beyond formal meetings: its members remain highly engaged through the e-list, Teams conversations, standards discussions, and close collaboration on AV installations, networking, and capital projects.
• Sponsored by the IT Security Office, the IT Security SIG is open to all Cornell  security liaisons, technical support providers, and those interested in learning more about security-related topics. They meet monthly on the second Wednesday. Agendas are announced a week in advance, but a much-requested calendar placeholder is now available. Join the next meeting to learn more.
• Explore AI in your everyday Office 365 tools with the Microsoft Copilot SIG.
• The Microsoft Teams SIG is, obviously, most active in their Teams channel. 
• The Service Management SIG meets the third Wednesday of each month in Zoom. Topics and speakers are announced  in their Teams channel and in IT News.