Fairness, Openness, Respect & Community Engagement
in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
Our vision is for the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to be a welcoming and inclusive environment where our shared values of community, diversity, multiculturalism as well as accessibility, opportunity, and respect are central to the function and character of the Department.
The Fairness, Openness, Respect & Community Engagement Committee at the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics supports dialogue and initiatives that encourage (1) a more representative faculty and student body, (2) greater transparency and opportunities for engagement in Department processes, and (3) a more welcoming Department community.
The FORCE committee is the only committee in the Department that operates on a shared leadership model and consists of representatives from undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff.
In practice, the committee meets regularly throughout the academic year and serves three main functions. First, the committee provides support for other committees in the Department as well as the Department chair on matters related to fairness, openness, respect, and community engagement. This can include documenting department activities, developing and reporting on metrics that track success, and making recommendations for the Department, taking into consideration best practices and the context and specific needs of the Department. Second, the committee will proactively identify areas for improvement, evaluate current practices in these areas, and coordinate efforts across relevant committees to bring suggested changes to the faculty for discussion. Third, the committee will actively communicate and meet with representatives from similar committees within CALS or across campus to share the Department’s experience and learn from other departments’ experiences.
A Brief History of FORCE in AAE
At the initiative of the Taylor Hibbard Club, on behalf of the graduate students, the JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) committee was founded in 2020 and later renamed as the FORCE committee in 2026. Their original charge listed below still informs our activities today.
The initial charge of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee as laid out by representatives of the student-led Taylor Hibbard Club include, but are not limited to:
1. Address challenges related to the current climate in AAE, including examining ways our culture does and does not provide a welcoming environment for everyone.
2. Enhance the diversity in our Department and profession.
3. Incorporate JEDI-themes into Department service tasks and governance.
4. Seek out and develop partnerships across campus, in local and global communities, and in our profession to advance JEDI-related objectives.
For more information, please contact the FORCE Committee 2026/27 co-chairs:
Paul Castañeda Dower (co-chair) (pdower@wisc.edu)
Sharan Ganjam Seshachallam (co-chair)
For more information on Inclusive Excellence efforts on campus please visit UW-Madison, Inclusive Excellence.
Inclusive Excellence at UW-Madison’s priority is to:
Goal 1: Promote shared values of inclusive excellence.
Goal 2: Improve coordination of campus diversity planning.
Goal 3: Engage the campus leadership for inclusive excellence.
Goal 4: Improve institutional access through effective recruitment of diverse students, faculty, staff and through effective relationship building with the wider community.
Goal 5: Improve institutional success through improved retention.