Institutional Datasets
Looking for record-level or minimally processed data? The resources below provide access to CU Boulder administrative and academic data for institutional unit analysis and reporting. Most require campus affiliation, an approved business need, and appropriate training.
Administrative & System Data
The resources below describe options for members of the CU community to access raw administrative and system data. Access to these systems is governed by campus data policies and typically requires required training, a documented business need, and approval from the appropriate data stewards or offices. Data & Analytics (D&A) does not manage or grant access to these systems.
- CU‑SIS Campus Solutions (CS) is the system of record for student, admissions, enrollment, and financial aid data. Direct access is role‑based and limited to approved users. Most downstream student data used for reporting and analysis is sourced from CU‑SIS and integrated into the Central Information Warehouse (CIW). The Office of the Registrar provides detailed guidance on CU‑SIS access and related student data systems.
- Central Information Warehouse (CIW) is the University of Colorado’s system‑wide data repository for administrative data sourced from core systems, including Student Information System (CU‑SIS), Human Capital Management (HCM), and Finance. CIW supports historical and record‑level access for approved users with institutional reporting or compliance needs.
- CU-Data (Cognos) provides standardized, institutionally governed reports and data extracts sourced primarily from the Central Information Warehouse (CIW). CU‑Data is hosted and supported by University Information Services (UIS) and accessed by authorized users via the employee portal or direct login, with role‑based permissions and security controls. For student‑related Cognos reporting, the Registrar's Office is the primary author of Cognos reports and provides additional guidance on their website.
Can’t find what you’re looking for?
Please contact Data & Analytics using the Request Form for guidance on where to start or which office may own the data you need.
Curated Institutional Data in Snowflake (Coming Soon)
To support campus‑wide, distributed data analysis, Data & Analytics (D&A) is working to provide secure access to curated institutional datasets through Snowflake, the university’s cloud data platform. This initiative is designed to enable approved analysts across campus to work more directly with high‑quality, governed data while maintaining appropriate security, privacy, and stewardship standards. Initial access is intended for campus employees with demonstrated data analysis needs and appropriate data training. Snowflake access is intended to complement, not replace, existing institutional reporting systems and dashboards.
This project is currently under active development and will roll out in phases. At present, we are in the Pilot Project phase, focused on internal validation and limited testing.
Project Roadmap:
Phase 1: Internal Setup
This phase focused on foundational planning and technical readiness.
- Investigation and planning – Identifying use cases, benefits, and technical capabilities of Snowflake to support campus data needs
- Security configuration and approvals – Securing preliminary security approvals for Snowflake and implementing appropriate security controls and review processes
- Data integration configuration – Developing tools and processes to form the backbone of data ingestion and management for curated data in Snowflake
Phase 2: Pilot Project (Current Phase)
During this phase, D&A is developing and testing initial use cases.
- Initial Commonly Managed Data Views (CMDVs) – D&A analysts and engineers build pilot data views and workflows for internal use and testing
- Beta testers – Expand access to a small group of campus users with relevant expertise for hands-on testing
- Iterative Improvement – Incorporate feedback from D&A and campus analysts to refine data usability, access workflows, automation, and documentation
Phase 3: Limited Expansion
This phase focuses on additional refinement and controlled growth.
- Additional CMDVs - Expand set of curated data views available to pilot users in Snowflake
- Additional users – Onboard additional campus partners to adopt and use existing CMDVs
- Additional domains – Partner with select campus units to introduce domain-specific data aligned with executive leadership priority areas
- Process iteration – Refine request, approval and security review processes based on pilot feedback
Phase 4: Campuswide Access for Approved Analytics Use
In this phase, access expands beyond early adopters while remaining focused on specialized, advanced and use-case-driven analytics needs.
- Curated CIW‑derived datasets made available in Snowflake to approved campus users with a clearly defined business, analytical, or research use case, and alignment with established security, privacy, and stewardship requirements
- Targeted onboarding for campus users whose roles, projects, or analytical needs warrant direct access to curated institutional data in Snowflake
- Ongoing governance and support processes sustained to ensure appropriate use, high data quality, and continued alignment with institutional data standards over time.
Please check back for updates as this initiative continues to evolve.