With both positions now filled at the Center for Awareness, Response and Education, the two recent hires are looking to restore stability to the center and awareness about its work.

CARE lost both of its full-time staffers before the start of the academic year and had trouble replacing them. However, with Erin Clark, the new assistant director, starting last week, the office is back to full capacity. Carrie Wachter, CARE’s survivor advocate, joined the full-time staff in January after being hired part-time in October.

“Our first conversations together are really to improve CARE’s visibility,” Wachter said. “Because there was a gap in services because of the turnover in staff, I just think that we kind of got off the radar of a lot of students so we’re working with Student Affairs Marketing to refresh that campaign.”

Clark last worked at Break the Cycle, a non-profit organization aimed at dating-abuse education and healthy relationship promotion for students. She said she was drawn to Northwestern because of her past work with students and her experience as a student activist at Wesleyan University.

Clark said she wants CARE to be more visible in the community and for its priorities to be student-driven.

“My dream would be to have every student on campus know what CARE is and have a positive relationship with them,” Clark said. “I want people to say, ‘CARE, I know them. I like them. I like what they do.’”

Laura Anne Haave, the former sexual health education and assault prevention coordinator, left the office in August, and Eva Ball, the former survivor advocate, resigned in May. CARE failed to fill the vacancies in initial search committees last summer and the office’s services were on pause at the start of the academic year.

Lisa Currie, the director of Health Promotion and Wellness, said it was difficult to wait for the positions to be filled, but that Clark and Wachter are the right people for the positions. Currie said Clark, who is serving in the new position of assistant director, has a depth of experience working on sexual violence issues that will help further Health Promotion and Wellness’ strategic plan. Currie, who oversees CARE, said the center is working toward establishing a four-year curriculum for students.

“We’re going to talk to seniors different than we’re talking to incoming students,” Currie said. “We want to really make sure we are covering this issue throughout the time students are here and addressing it in as many ways as possible.”

With Clark and Wachter now hired, CARE is in the process of filling its new position, the coordinator of men’s engagement. Currie said she hopes whoever is hired will start before the end of the academic year.

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Twitter: @tylerpager

Previous stories on this topic:

    CARE hires new assistant director
    New CARE survivor advocate hopes to empower students
    CARE hires temporary survivor advocate while continuing search
    Northwestern struggles to fill CARE positions while center remains understaffed