Audience: Corporate relations staff in Cornell units participating in the Salesforce Cross-University Data Sharing Pilot.
What this guide covers: The engagement best practices participating units have agreed to follow when working with shared enterprise accounts and contacts, the operating practices that keep shared data accurate, and how the shared data repository (Data Lakehouse) is governed.
Version: Draft v3.1, revised 1/16/2026.
Table of Contents
Introduction
This document establishes engagement best practices for a data sharing collaboration platform designed to enhance strategic partnerships between Cornell University and external industry affiliates. The primary purpose is to provide participating Cornell units with shared visibility and collaborative tools to:
- have broad visibility into the enterprise accounts of all participating Cornell units;
- optimize engagement opportunities; and
- grow enterprise relationships for the benefit of Cornell University, participating units, and the companies/enterprises involved.
The data sharing platform is intended to complement, not replace, existing day-to-day interactions between Cornell units and their established company contacts. This initiative specifically focuses on encouraging relationship expansion and new opportunity identification while respecting and preserving ongoing operational communications and partnerships.
As leaders within Cornell seek to broaden their engagement within a company, this shared resource will facilitate unit-to-unit collaboration, ensuring coordinated approaches that leverage the University’s collective expertise and relationships to achieve greater institutional impact.
This framework aims to transform isolated unit activities into strategic, coordinated efforts that amplify Cornell’s overall presence.
Guidelines for Accounts
All participating units will have visibility to enterprise engagements from across the coalition of participating units via the shared data repository (Data Lakehouse).
Beyond established, routine connections within accounts, all participating units agree to collaborate with each other when new connections or conversations are being initiated. One example of such collaboration could be:
Company A has a sponsored research project that is currently underway with College X. College Y is planning a visit to Company A’s headquarters for meetings about a potential collaboration. It would be appropriate and courteous for the corporate relations representative from College Y to reach out to the corporate relations representative from College X to make them aware of the upcoming trip and discuss potential opportunities that might enhance one another’s respective activities with Company A.
Participating units are welcome and encouraged to reach out for coordination around any and all accounts as desired and deemed beneficial.
It is expected that each participating Cornell unit will continue its day-to-day activities and communications with these accounts, and new relationships will develop through the normal course of business; however, when information from the data collaboration project is identified as a potential expansion opportunity, formal unit-to-unit collaboration and communication will commence.
Key Shared Accounts
Some companies/enterprises will be designated as key shared accounts.
- University-wide designations, such as Strategic Partner Companies and those identified on the University Relations and Corporate Philanthropy University Managed Organizations (UFRCP) list;
- Unit-specific participating unit key accounts designation;
- A key shared account is defined as a company or organization that is recognized by participating units as having high growth potential and high potential return on investment for Cornell University as a whole;
- Such high-value relationships should be recorded and tracked in a Salesforce instance (or other client relationship management “CRM” system) by every participating unit which engages with that company or organization in any way;
- For key shared accounts:
- Cornell participating units agree these require a higher level of coordination and communication due to multiple Cornell contact points, complexity, and/or opportunity;
- Lead Cornell Liaison(s) will be identified for each account;
- With the exception of ongoing, routine communication, participating units agree to reach out to the Lead Cornell Liaison(s) before a new approach is made or opportunity initiated.
Guidelines for Contacts
Beyond established, routine conversations and standard business practices with known contacts, all participating units agree to collaborate when reaching out to or establishing new connections with contacts identified in the data repository.
- Participating units agree to check the shared data repository (Data Lakehouse) before outreach to, or before responding to, a new contact that is identified in the data repository;
- Before acting on shared information outside their unit, reach out to the identified Cornell point person to coordinate engagement activities.
Key Contacts
Due to their strategic importance, some contacts may be flagged as key contacts. For key contacts, participating units agree to:
- Reach out to the identified Cornell point person to coordinate engagement activities;
- Document and share through their unit’s Salesforce instance a summary of their organization’s current engagement activity with key shared contacts.
Operating Practices
Participating units agree to:
- Establish practices internal to their unit to keep specific fields in key shared accounts updated and accurate in their Salesforce instance, specifically:
- Point person assignment
- University designation
- Participate in a regularly scheduled review of the shared data repository (Data Lakehouse) tool to:
- Verify and refine the list of key shared accounts;
- Confirm data accuracy for key shared accounts;
- Discuss efficacy of the tool in its current state;
- Review ways to increase effectiveness of the shared data repository (Data Lakehouse), including desired enhancements to sharing features;
- Collaborate with the operations owner (see Unit Salesforce Contact below) to:
- maintain proper staff access to the unit’s Salesforce instance (both new staff additions and departing staff removals), and
- communicate ideas for feature enhancements, to be considered at the regularly scheduled system review.
Governance for the Shared Data Repository (Data Lakehouse)
Participating Units
The responsibilities of the participating units include:
- Collectively own and maintain the vision for what the shared data repository (Data Lakehouse) tool should do and what strategic purpose it serves across the units;
- Vet requests for feature enhancements, including prioritizing and assessing strategic value for return on investment;
- Agree as to which account information content will be shared with the other participating units.
Unit Salesforce Contact
The responsibilities for this role include:
- Oversee ongoing use and make day-to-day operational decisions of the shared data repository (Data Lakehouse) tool;
- Vet new participation requests by units wishing to join the collaboration and ensure units withdrawing from participation are removed;
- Lead and oversee/execute communications with participating unit end users regarding the tool;
- Act as primary conduit for IT project requests (e.g. feature enhancements), and initiate IT project requests for future phase projects.
Steering Committee
A steering committee of designated Corporate Relations unit leaders for all participating organizations facilitates the regular review outlined above. The committee will support new ideas for enhancement and collaboration.