Students in the University of Wisconsin Economics department drafted and released a letter Oct. 28 calling on the Department of Economics to address sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, retaliation and the generally substandard culture in the field of economics.

The letter includes a list of demands to the UW Department of Economics that would reduce sexual misconduct and improve conditions for survivors. To name a few, the letter calls for reform in professional organizations such as the American Economic Association and the National Bureau of Economic Research, affirmation that sexual misconduct is not tolerated in the UW economics department, security in reporting, access to resources and support and improvement in UW’s “Pass the Harasser” clause.

Signed by over 75% of current economics PhD students, the letter totalled 167 signatures from PhD and masters students in economics, agriculture and applied economics and relevant business school programs. Economics graduate students Emily Case and Danny Edgel shared the letter via Twitter, where it received attention from people in the field.

While the letter was endorsed by two doctoral student organizations on campus — the Wisconsin Economics Graduate Organization and Wisconsinites for Inclusion and Diversity in Economics — the students authored the letter themselves because they felt it would be more powerful coming from them rather than the organizations.

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The letter took about a week to write, with contributions from a small group of students in the department. Case, a member of the WIDE leadership and third year graduate student studying labor economics, said the letter speaks to the students’ ability to mobilize, as many dropped everything to get the letter out.

While the students demand accountability from the department, Case said they have faith in UW Economics’ ability to heal and change and want to work together.

“We ultimately believe that this is a fantastic department that can heal from this and can also set a public example for departments all over and for the entire field of economics,” Case said. “That is another reason we went public with it — we really wanted to put public pressure on our department but to also demonstrate a different approach and to say that we really believe in this department.”

Chair of the Department of Economics Chris Taber responded to the graduate students in a letter, thanking them for taking a stance on harassment. Taber said the department shares the students’ “commitment to maintaining high standards” and will form a committee to begin work together with the graduate students to explore the issue and potential solutions.

Edgel, president of WEGO and a third year graduate student studying industrial organization, said this is exactly what the students wanted to see.

Edgel said he thinks there is 100% going to be tangible change made. While the letter has received criticism for not listing measurable goals, he said they didn’t need to do that.

“Part of the reason we didn’t put measurable asks in there is we work well with the department, and we trust them to engage in good faith,” Edgel said. “This would be a very different letter if that weren’t the relationship between us.”

This local effort to confront sexual misconduct in economics comes amid a larger movement within the field to bring to light widespread misconduct.

The hashtag #MeToo first took off on Twitter, awakening a social media movement that encourages women to share their experiences of workplace sexual harassment. In 2018, the #MeToo movement hit Economics Twitter when it became public that Harvard economist Roland Fryer had engaged in unwanted sexual contact toward four women in his lab.

Since, scholars in the field have called out harassment. Through a survey, the AEA found evidence of gender and racial discrimination and announced steps to prevent harassment and create a reporting method for survivors. While these initiatives felt substantial at the time, the professional organization faced barriers in their investigative reach, according to the AEA.

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Associate professor at Texas A&M Jennifer Doleac, among many economists, was unsatisfied with the AEA’s response in 2018. She took to Twitter to empower women to share their stories about misconduct. Doleac has since been key to the movement.

In a tweet, Doleac called on women in economics to reach beyond organizations like the AEA to elicit change.

“If our institutions aren’t going to protect us, we have to protect ourselves,” Doleac said in the tweet. “Time to set the record straight.”

Though at least three more have been named in the “whisper network” — an informal network where students learn from other students, professors and social media which professors have reputations of misconduct, abuse and harassment — Doleac publicly called out one UW professor Oct. 25, prompting the graduate students to rush to get the letter out.

“We didn’t want to lose momentum, especially because we already wanted to say something,” Case said. “Then people from our department were publicly named on Twitter, and so we really pushed to get the letter out.”

The issue, Edgel said, is that all professors named at UW are tenured.

According to the American Association of University Professors, tenure is defined as “an indefinite appointment that can be terminated only for cause or under extraordinary circumstances such as financial exigency and program discontinuation.” Thus, the department faces legal challenges in removing professors with allegations against them.

“From the moment you enter your PhD program until the moment you get tenure, so this includes your time as an assistant professor, your entire career is hanging on a thread,” Edgel said. “Any one person can end it. Like you, you have to publish or perish, and then once you get tenure you’re untouchable.”

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When asked for comment, Director of Media Relations and Strategic Communications Kelly Tyrrell referred The Badger Herald to Taber’s letter and said anyone who would like to file a complaint or share additional information is encouraged use the Sexual Misconduct Resource and Response Program and the Dean of Students Office. Additionally, Tyrrell said it is mandatory for all UW students and employees to participate in educational programs aimed to prevent sexual harassment and violence.

Case said the graduate students will continue to hold the department accountable and recognizes that the department wants to make changes.

“The letter was not the end,” Case said. “The letter was to open up further conversations and to demonstrate that we care and we’re gonna hold you guys to this.”

Resources regarding sexual assault/misconduct:

• Sexual Misconduct Resource and Response Program: https://compliance.wisc.edu/titleix/

• UHS Survivor Services: [email protected], 608-265-5600 ext 3
  • www.uhs.wisc.edu/survivor/ Self-schedule using Starfish app
• Rape Crisis Center: (608)-251-7273
• Let’s Talk: uhs.wisc.edu/wellness/lets-talk
  • “Sex, Sexuality and Healthy Relationships” section
• Room to be Safe: For Queer survivors of violence: (414) 856-LGBT (5428)
• National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224