Cornell University President Michael I. Kotlikoff’s video introduction to the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI or “See Me”) kicked off the program’s summer status webinar on July 30, 2025.

“With all of the headwinds the university is facing, we need to lean into technology and process efficiency more than ever. Fewer systems will mean lower costs, less time spent managing complicated workflows, and simplified compliance with changing regulations,” said Kotlikoff as he explained the urgency and importance of the university-wide transformation.

He also emphasized the personal benefits of the program and said, “It will create opportunities for individuals to grow across the university and learn new skills and technologies that are becoming standard in almost every industry. And it will create a better experience across our community for the students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and partners who use our systems.”

Summer CEMI Updates

Following the president’s message, Cornell’s Chief Global Information Officer Curtis Cole shared several recent accomplishments including a newly reorganized effort to align contributor experiences across campuses: the Donor and Engagement Experience Project (DEEP).

Requests for Proposals

DEEP brings together representatives from Alumni Affairs and Development, Weill Cornell Medicine, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to craft a unified process and system supporting the full lifecycle of contributor experiences. Gartner was engaged to manage the request for proposals (RFP) process, which successfully completed on July 11 with vendor responses. The DEEP team is reviewing their options for a customer relationship management solution.

The RFP processes for enterprise resource planning (ERP) and student information systems (SIS) solutions and integration partners are also proceeding smoothly. Vendor demos and evaluations are complete, and the team is in negotiations with the vendors.

The ERP component of CEMI is a major financial investment, and, as President Kotlikoff stated, the modernization transformation is both necessary and urgent. Updated budget estimates are being prepared for internal review and for presentation to the Board of Trustees.

Functional Area Leaders Named, Unified Identity, and New Communication Channels

In addition to DEEP and the CEMI program team, seven other functional and technical areas are shaping CEMI. Leaders for each of these areas have been identified to lead modernization efforts in finance, human resources, student services, budget, research administration, data and analytics, and technical capability. Most of these leaders have completed onboarding with readiness partner Huron and are actively recruiting participants for current and coming readiness activities.

Spanning all ERP, CRM, and other university-wide systems, a unified identity program will improve resource sharing between campuses while maintaining critical healthcare partnerships with NewYork Presbyterian and Columbia and laying groundwork to advance the security and authentication goals of the university.

Communicating updates and accomplishments like these is now being accomplished through quarterly newsletters and a refreshed website. The CEMI website has been updated with a new community focus, revealed in the organization, images, and content across multiple pages and posts, including links to webinars and the president’s video. The website and newsletters are part of a broader effort to build the CEMI community and foster two-way communications.

Training and Engagement Opportunities

Learning how to best engage with a major change initiative can be accomplished through online and in-person training courses. Prosci organizational change management training is now open to any faculty or staff member and several hundred people across the campuses have completed the 6-hour workshop.

Throughout the webinar, Cole continued encouraging community members at all levels of the university to contribute their skills and experience to CEMI and stay informed.

Watch the webinar recording, using your campus login.