CUNYfirst Benefits

CUNYfirst Potential and Realized Benefits as of 2012


Notable progress has been made ever since CUNYfirst made its debut at Hostos in early 2012. According to the 2012 CUNYfirst Surveys and Comments, the new information system has paved the way for a progressive way of enhancing the student, faculty and administrative experience CUNYwide.

CUNYfirst has a purposeful agenda that includes:

(1) Retiring aging systems

(2) Providing the foundation for data driven decision making

(3) The opportunity to assess and re-engineer business processes

(4) Improving the security of data compliant with FERPA along with reducing the risk of identity theft

Some improvements that have already been made through CUNYfirst are:

  • It provides services from a “single-point” access CUNYwide since CUNYfirst is a centrally based information system  
  • It offers a higher level of security to highly sensitive information because all CUNY affiliates (students, faculty and staff) have an EMPLID that has replaced their social security numbers
  • It will retire all student and procurement information systems to be replaced with CUNYfirst within the next 12-18 months

Out of 3,189 2012 CUNYfirst Surveys and Comments responses, the key findings were promising:

  • 70% of Senior Leadership are committed to the project, with a 60% weekly increase in likeability of the system
  • 82% of responses feel that learning the CUNYfirst information system has added to their self-esteem and professional growth
  • 49% of all CUNY Chairs and Deans like “on-the-job” training
  • CUNYfirst communications are improving but users want to see even more communication on the information system

CUNYfirst is the City University of New York’s fully integrated resources and services tool, using the latest technology to serve out students, faculty and staff.