Welcome to the Office for CARE.
Community. Advocacy. Resources. Empowerment.
The Office for Community, Advocacy, Resources, and Empowerment (CARE) is dedicated to cultivating a campus culture where equity, belonging, and well-being are deeply embedded in the student, faculty, and staff experience.
CARE is a space of support, connection, and transformation—where community is nurtured, advocacy is amplified, and every individual is encouraged to bring their full self to campus life.
Uniting the Lake Forest College community
With a commitment to dialogue, collaboration, and justice-informed practice, CARE creates opportunities for meaningful engagement across differences. Through programming, education, and responsive support, the office works to eliminate barriers, address systemic inequities, and build a community that honors the dignity and unique contributions of all its members.
CARE partners across the College to offer initiatives that are both proactive and healing—ranging from inclusive leadership development and identity-affirming gatherings to workshops that foster skill-building, cultural humility, and mutual accountability.
These efforts are rooted in the belief that a thriving campus requires intentional spaces where people feel valued, heard, and equipped to lead with empathy and purpose.
Compassion and collective empowerment on campus
More than an office, CARE is a movement—anchored in the values of:
- Connection
- Compassion
- Collective empowerment
This commitment comes to life through a range of intentional practices and programs that center on cultural pluralism, cultural humility, advocacy, and equity. From community healing circles and restorative dialogues to peer education initiatives and coalition-building across student organizations, CARE cultivates a culture where empathy and action go hand in hand. Regular collaborations with faculty and staff ensure that equity-minded practices are embedded in classrooms, offices, and student experiences alike. Whether it's facilitating a workshop on navigating difficult conversations, co-creating affinity-based spaces for reflection and joy, or supporting campus response in times of crisis, CARE’s work is guided by the needs, voices, and wisdom of the Forester community.
Making CARE happen
Learn more about the people involved in the Office for CARE:
President’s Council for CARE
The President’s Council for CARE serves as a strategic advisory body to the President and College Council, guiding campus-wide efforts related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Grounded in Lake Forest College’s core values of curiosity, accountability, intellectual inquiry, and engagement, the Council fosters thoughtful dialogue, collaborative problem-solving, and bold ideas that strengthen our campus culture. Composed of faculty, staff, and students appointed by the College’s governance groups, the Council meets regularly to identify challenges, propose solutions, and model respectful discourse. Meeting minutes and work products will be shared with the campus community via the CARE webpages, ensuring transparency and collective ownership of progress.
CARE Team
The CARE Team is an implementation-focused group composed of staff and administrators whose daily responsibilities align directly with the priorities of the Office for CARE. This cross-functional team supports the operationalization of CARE’s mission by coordinating programming, services, and campus-wide initiatives that foster community, belonging, and equity. Members bring their functional expertise to ensure that CARE’s values are meaningfully embedded across the college’s systems and practices.
Contact Us
Dr. Kim Davis
Interim Associate Vice President for CARE
kdavis@lakeforest.edu
(847) 735-6069
Alice Fermaintt, M.Ed.
Associate Director for CARE
afermaintt@lakeforest.edu
(847) 735-5217