Bernadine Chuck Fong is enjoying a second act as president of Foothill College, an opportunity that surfaced last October with an unexpected call from Judy Miner.
The chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District needed Fong – who had retired in 2006 after 12 years as president – to cover in an interim role after the FHDA Board of Trustees opted not to renew President Thuy Thi Nguyen’s contract following a no-confidence vote by Foothill’s Academic Senate.
Fong said she agreed to return out of duty and “love” for Foothill.
Fong was told the choice for the interim position was between her and an educator new to the community, often called a “rent-a-dean” or “rent-a-president” in academia.
“I just felt that given I was so close with Foothill to begin with, it would be easier for me than someone who has to get to know the institution and the people,” she said.
Fong, a longtime resident of Los Altos, has long been a pivotal figure in the Foothill community – she started out as a faculty member in 1970, served as president of the Academic Senate and then helped launch the Foothill faculty union. After serving in various administrative roles, she became president of the college in 1994.
Upon returning to Foothill last fall, Fong said she was delighted to learn that nearly half of the staff had remained since her retirement, many of whom she had hired. Annette Stenger, who had once served as Fong’s executive assistant during her presidency and had since moved to Montana, heard about Fong’s return and offered to come back to the Bay Area to help out.
“It was just another indication of the love people have for the college,” Fong said.
Reinvigorating Foothill
Despite challenges over the past few years posed by the pandemic and leadership issues, the college has remained strong, according to Fong.
“Foothill has been extremely resilient,” she said. “In many ways, it hasn’t skipped a beat – it’s educating students, the college is still winning awards through the students’ achievements and the students are still being successful. And obviously, that’s what we’re here for. So I was very happy to find out that it wasn’t like everything was falling apart.”
Like community colleges across the country, Foothill faces a decline in enrollment. Fong noted the irony that while Foothill’s introduction of online classes in 1996 when no other colleges offered them was once an attractive feature to students, the fact that classes were conducted online during the pandemic was a significant factor in why many students have put off attending college. Some students lacked access to the internet and the necessary equipment to attend school off-campus.
“Those were the challenges, but at the same time, I like to see a challenge as an opportunity,” Fong said. “Frankly, I’m having a ball. I mean, I’m really enjoying coming back and thinking, ‘Well, what are the things we need to do differently? What do we continue to do, and how do we reinvigorate the college in different ways?’”
Fong is working alongside staff to introduce new programs that incentivize people to enroll. One area of focus is further cultivating the dual enrollment program at Foothill, which allows high school students to take classes at the college for both high school and college credits. The program currently accounts for approximately 10% of students enrolled at Foothill.
She also sees the college pursuing advancements in digital education in the next few years, including incorporating virtual-reality 3D technology into classes.
“We’re asking, ‘Where should Foothill be in terms of the next generation of tech?’” Fong said.
Efforts to improve diversity, equity and inclusion at Foothill are underway, beginning with an internal review among the college’s administrators.
“I’m starting with the administrators and having them address our equity plan. So, in whatever their area of responsibility is, how are they actually implementing aspects of our equity plan?” Fong said. “We really want to integrate it into the college and not make a plan that’s only a shelf document.”
The college is also in the process of resurrecting its NASA Ames program and is putting effort toward internship and study abroad programs that would afford students a multicultural learning experience.
Transitioning out of office
While Fong is enjoying her time as interim president, she said she is not interested in remaining in the position long term. Since she retired in 2006, she has found fulfillment by serving as a part of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education office at Stanford University and spending time with her two children and two grandchildren.
The search for a permanent president will begin in the fall, though campus forums to solicit input on what students and staff would like to see in a new president have already begun. The job announcement will be finalized in the next few weeks, but the process of recruiting and interviewing candidates won’t begin for another few months.
