As the program manager for the Asian American Studies Program, Alexis Boyce can bring her ideas to the table knowing they’ll be taken seriously – she feels a sense of belonging.

It’s something she wants for all staff in the College of Arts and Sciences, and in 2021, she helped establish a committee – the Staff Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Committee – to work toward that goal.

Credit: Jason Koski/Cornell University

“We really wanted there to be a place in Arts and Sciences specifically for staff concerns – to talk things through, to think things out – and we wanted it to be staff-run and staff-centered,” Boyce said. “Working with staff and faculty and students who genuinely see each other and put each other first and who really want to hear from each other has allowed me to step into a leadership role, and I want others to feel they can be seen and heard and can bring as much of themselves to work as they want.” 

For her work on the committee and in her unit, Boyce has been awarded the Employee Assembly’s Award for Staff Inclusion and Integrity, founded in 2013 to honor staff who are dedicated to fostering a sense of belonging and a work environment of honesty, fairness and respect for all. Boyce was presented with the award at a reception on Aug. 8.

With Boyce’s leadership, the Staff DEIA Committee has addressed staff concerns over accessibility in parking and transportation, supported flexible work arrangements and raised awareness of accessibility issues for those with learning differences. The committee has also advocated for trainings to combat implicit bias in hiring, increased access to professional development opportunities for staff, improved the visibility of staff resources and collected feedback, giving employees a voice to improve decision-making. With funding from A&S, the committee hosted a successful resource fair for staff last semester and multiple community-building events.

“Alexis tirelessly pushes forward in an attempt to find solutions to the challenges affecting staff, and when she can’t find solutions, she works to clarify the process or map out the complexity of the problem,” said Melissa Totman, co-chair of the Staff DEIA Committee and administrative manager in the Sage School of Philosophy (A&S). “Even if she can’t resolve a concern, she hears you, you feel supported, and that, in my opinion is what this award is really all about.”

For the Asian American Studies Program, Boyce similarly positions herself as a collaborator and a listener, open to others’ ideas rather than shutting them down. “Even if ultimately the answer is ‘no,’ we’ve worked through that together and gained a confidence and trust talking to each other, and if the answer is ‘yes,’ we’ve invented something new together,” Boyce said. “That’s the spirit of education, that’s the spirit of inquiry.” 

“I have been just floored by Alexis and her commitment to the program, the students, to the faculty and to the university,” said Sofia Villenas, associate professor of anthropology (A&S), who served as interim director of the Asian American Studies Program. “I really learned so much from Alexis in terms of how to relate to everyone, how to care for our students, how to keep a pulse on what they’re feeling. She’s a remarkable educator, and I know the lessons I’ve learned from her will stay with me a long time.”

Looking ahead, Boyce wants to continue to create more spaces for staff at Cornell to connect and be heard. The Staff DEIA Committee is currently working to create a forum for staff to share their stories and expertise, and will host another resource fair in the fall.

“There is something really empowering to have staff say, this is our forum. The concerns come from us. We get to talk about it and decide how we want to handle it,” Boyce said. “If you want to think about these issues, if you’ve got ideas, come do it. We want to hear from you.”