Cornell IT

Cornell IT
Name	Cornell IT
Formation	1990s
Type	University information technology unit
Headquarters	Ithaca, New York
Parent organization	Cornell University

Cornell IT Cornell IT is the central information technology division serving Cornell University campuses, providing enterprise services, networking, research computing, and administrative systems. It interfaces with units such as the College of Engineering (Cornell University), Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell Bowersock College and coordinates with external partners including Internet2, National Science Foundation, and commercial vendors. The organization supports teaching, research, and operations across colleges like the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and programs such as the Cornell Tech campus in New York City.

Overview

Cornell IT delivers core computing and networking capabilities for stakeholders across institutions like the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, the SC Johnson College of Business, the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, and affiliated centers such as the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. It manages services used by administrative units including University Faculty, Office of the Provost (Cornell University), and Cornell Alumni Affairs, while collaborating with consortia such as the Association of Research Libraries and standards bodies like the Internet Engineering Task Force. The division integrates with campus resources including the Cornell Library, Systems Administration, and research facilities like the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.

Services and Infrastructure

Cornell IT operates data center resources, high-performance computing clusters, and storage used by groups such as the Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, the Department of Computer Science (Cornell University), and the Smithsonian-Migratory Bird Center collaborators. Network infrastructure connects campuses to peers like Ithaca College, regional partners such as New York State Education Department, and global research networks like ESnet. Services include identity management interoperable with Shibboleth (Internet2 project), email systems interfacing with Google Workspace partnerships, cloud brokerage with vendors like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, and backup/archive platforms used by centers including the Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research.

Governance and Organization

The unit reports to university leadership structures including the Board of Trustees (Cornell University) and coordinates policy with offices such as the Office of the General Counsel (Cornell University), the Division of Human Resources (Cornell University), and the Office of University Communications (Cornell). Organizational oversight aligns with committees related to Faculty Senate (Cornell University), the University Assembly, and advisory councils that include representatives from colleges like the College of Veterinary Medicine and entities such as the Cornell Public Service Center. Strategic planning engages external partners including EDUCAUSE and funding agencies like the National Institutes of Health.

Security and Privacy

Cornell IT administers cybersecurity programs, incident response, and compliance activities in coordination with regulators and standards organizations such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Federal Bureau of Investigation when relevant. Security services protect research projects funded by agencies like the Department of Energy and collaborative labs such as the NEON (National Ecological Observatory Network), and implement technologies from vendors and consortia including Cisco Systems and MITRE Corporation. Privacy practices intersect with academic policies overseen by bodies like the Institutional Review Board (Cornell University) and legal frameworks including laws administered by the New York Attorney General.

Research and Academic Support

Cornell IT provides compute, storage, and software resources for investigators in departments such as the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Cornell University), and the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering. It supports grant-driven projects funded by organizations like the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and partnerships with industry collaborators including IBM and Intel Corporation. Services assist course delivery for programs such as Cornell Online initiatives, distance education partnerships with the AthenaCenter, and labs like the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source.

Outreach, Training, and Documentation

Training programs and documentation are produced for audiences across campus from units like the Student and Campus Life (Cornell) division and centers such as the Cornell Center for Teaching Innovation. Outreach includes workshops co-sponsored with external groups like Women in Technology (WiT) chapters, collaborations with student organizations including the Cornell Computing and Information Science Student Council, and participation in conferences such as Open Source Summit. Documentation integrates standards from bodies like the World Wide Web Consortium and usability practices informed by researchers at the Human-Computer Interaction Lab.

History and Development

The organization evolved alongside institutional computing milestones at Cornell University, tracing roots to early campus computing efforts and projects involving entities like the Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis and collaborations with manufacturers such as DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation). Over time it adapted to developments in networking with participation in initiatives like Internet2 and expansions to satellite sites including the Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar program. Major shifts corresponded with broader movements in higher education IT, aligning with professional associations such as Educause and responding to funding trends from agencies like the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Category:Cornell University