Santa Rosa Junior College President Frank Chong leads SRJC into the future
Santa Rosa Junior College president Frank Chong describes himself as an ABC from NYC, or an American-born Chinese from New York City.
The youngest of five children, he was raised in the Lower East Side of Manhattan by a single mom who immigrated to the United States during World War II. His father died when Chong was 5 years old.
'She never really spoke English,' he said of his late mom, Lin Chong, who worked at her brother's bakery and later remarried. 'She did whatever was necessary to raise five kids.'
As a son of Chinese immigrants, Chong said he feels a strong connection with his students, many who are immigrants themselves or first-generation Mexican-Americans.
'I observed a lot of the challenges of being from an immigrant family,' he said.
Chong, 59, is now putting those observations to work, along with experience drawn from more than three decades of work in the worlds of academia, politics and nonprofits. He oversees a college with a $173 million annual operating budget and 28,000 students spread across its Santa Rosa and Petaluma campuses, the Public Safety Training Center, Southwest Center and Shone Farm, which is used for agriculture classes. The college is one of the largest employers in the county, with more than 3,000 faculty and staff.
Chong is the fifth person to serve as president in the college's nearly 100-year history. He also is the first minority to take on that role — and one of the few in the country, where, he pointed out, less than 1 percent of college presidents are Asian-Americans.
'He sees the college as an institution that gives an opportunity to all,' said Ricardo Navarrette, SRJC vice president of student services. 'Other presidents have done that also, but I think he has re-energized that kind of vision that really embraces everybody in our community.'
Chong arrived on campus four years ago at a time of changing demographics in Sonoma County. The school's role, too, was shifting from a traditional institution that prepares students for four-year universities to one meeting the demands of the local workforce. And it's a change he has helped accelerate.
Businesses have increasingly turned to community colleges to fill workforce needs since the end of the recession, and Santa Rosa Junior College has been no exception. Chong, who has worked closely with business organizations such as the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce and the North Bay Leadership Council, said the college exists to meet the needs of the community and should reach out to all segments of the population.
'I see my job as making sure that all students succeed, that they get to reach their ultimate objective, whether it's to get a certificate in fixing cars or a certificate in working in some of the finest restaurants in Sonoma County, or to transfer to a four-year university, which many of our students do,' Chong said.
'We do both and we do both well,' Chong said, referring to workforce development and preparing students for four-year institutions.
Inclusive campus
Boosting diversity on campus and making the college more inclusive is a central mission for Chong, who lives in Petaluma with his wife, Lene Jannes, and has two daughters, Mia and Sophia, from a previous marriage. Since his arrival, he's doubled the number of Latino professors and hired more LGBT faculty members, part of an initiative to make the faculty better reflect the community.
The college also tripled the number of international students from 65 to more than 200 under his tenure, Chong said. Last year, it was designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the Department of Education, which made it eligible for grants to assist Latino and low-income students. Six months after the designation, it won a $2.65 million grant to launch a program to provide academic counseling, tutoring and other support for these students.
All students benefit when the college brings in special dollars that improve programs and technology, Chong said. So does the community, he argues.
'The future of California's economy is going to be based on a skilled and educated workforce and if you break down who that skilled and educated force is going to be, many of those folks will be Latino,' Chong said.
Colleagues said he's charismatic and humorous, as well as a strong listener who actively seeks input from others and welcomes different opinions.
Working with faculty
While Chong and faculty may not always agree on goals and how to achieve them, they're committed to working together, said Sean Martin, a philosophy professor and president of the college's faculty union.
'We share a commitment to a legacy of excellence at SRJC,' Martin said. 'For faculty, that means that we need to attract and retain the best faculty in the state. We're encouraged that President Chong has on numerous occasions expressed that view.'
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: