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In a recent Wireside Chat, Cornell's Chief Global Information Officer, Curt Cole, said the university has an opportunity to do more than implement new administrative systems as part of the modernization efforts. Focus should also be on strengthening collaboration, investing in staff growth, and building more connected IT organizations.
Looking Beyond Technology Projects
What Cornell teams are doing to launch new administrative platforms extends beyond software implementation. The work underway today will build sustainable support models, improve coordination across IT organizations, and ensure services continue to meet the evolving needs of faculty, staff, and students.
Cole highlighted three connected efforts: developing long-term support models for Workday, Kindsight, and other university-wide administrative platforms, evaluating the organizational approaches needed to deliver those services, and advancing Evolve IT at the Ithaca-supported campuses to bring together distributed IT teams.
Although the three initiatives have distinct goals and timelines, they share a common objective: creating a more connected IT environment that maintains local expertise while strengthening university-wide collaboration.
Cornell's Greatest Asset
Retaining and developing the institutional knowledge embedded across the IT organizations at the Ithaca-supported campuses and Weill Cornell Medicine was a central theme of Cole's discussion. As emerging technologies reshape the higher education landscape, success will depend not only on acquiring new capabilities but also on investing in the people who understand Cornell's mission, culture, and operations, according to Cole.
"You could just hire new people with new skills, but we cannot hire people who know Cornell," he said.
As Cornell introduces new platforms and services, he encouraged the IT communities to think about how they can expand their skills and position themselves for future opportunities, reflecting a belief that organizational change should create opportunities for growth rather than simply move employees between reporting structures.
Preparing for What's Next
Looking ahead, Cole identified several areas where Cornell is likely to need additional expertise and capacity, including data and analytics, cybersecurity and identity management, artificial intelligence, and support for university-wide platforms like Workday.
With Workday scheduled to launch in July 2028, Cornell is already examining how teams will collaborate, how services will be delivered, and what structures will best support the university over the long term. These conversations are still evolving, he said, and future models will be refined through testing, feedback, and continued engagement with the IT communities.
Shaping the Future Together
Employee input will play an important role as planning continues. Cole highlighted opportunities for staff participation through working groups, manager discussions, surveys, and the new CEMI Change Networks.
"Each of these initiatives has its own purpose and timing, and together, they will move us towards a simpler, more connected IT organization," he said.
The goal, Cole said, is to ensure Cornell's future technology environment is shaped not only by new systems but also by the people who will support and use them every day.
This recent webinar also included updates on organizational planning, enterprise systems, public health topics, and audience questions. Recordings of the October and July Wireside Chats are available on the IT Organization Resources page.
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