Getting to know you: Future Ursinus president Bobby Fong addresses students

The Ursinus Student Government Association (USGA) hosted Ursinus’ future president, Dr. Bobby Fong, in Bomberger Auditorium for a brief Q-and-A session open to the entire student body last Tuesday.

Student body president Jervis Hudson opened the meeting by speaking about Fong.

“One reason he chose Ursinus as his new home is that it was a chance for him to be closer to his family,” Hudson said.

Hudson went on to note his admiration for Fong’s treatment of his own family, and Hudson’s excitement to become part of “Bo Fo’s” new college family.

Presidential Search Committee student members Bridget Resetco and Ty Wetzel spoke next. The two students served on the committee for approximately eight months and played an active role in candidate selection.

Why Fong? Resetco recalled the moment she knew, sitting in a meeting with just the two of them and Fong. Though the two students were trying to get to know their prospective president, “the meeting was more about us than it was him,” Resetco said. “We were looking for someone who wanted to get to know each individual student."

It was just an “overall feeling of fit,” added Wetzel.

By the time Fong took over the podium, students filled the auditorium. He opened with a few brief remarks, commenting on his vision for Ursinus College.

“I can help enunciate a vision, but the vision doesn’t come from one person,” he said.

Fong explained the initiation and implementations of a vision come from a collective community, and that its purpose and his plans for it are to “make room for each of you to grow into your best self.”

Fong then began to address many questions from Ursinus students. While answering his first questions, Fong commented on his hopes for what Ursinus students will take away from their four years here.

“Why do we love our alma mater so much?" he asked. "Because that is the place where we learned to be truly ourselves, where we learned to be human.”

The subject of diversity, next presented, was one Fong seriously addressed. During his time at Hope College as Dean of Arts and Humanities and an English professor, Fong encountered an ethical dilemma concerning the religious college’s refusal to hire a homosexual man for a faculty position. The college knew of his sexuality because he was involved with another man, already part of the college’s faculty.

Fong noted that this was the problem with which he struggled the most in the situation.

“I believe in process," he said. "I don’t believe ends justify the means. That’s too easy and inappropriate. I am a supporter and advocate of diversity in its many forms.”

Fong continued, “As an academic community and an academic family, it’s important to support each other in our differences.”

On the matter of faculty, Fong stressed the importance of student-teacher relationships, promising to pull away from “hiring teachers to teach subjects, not necessarily to teach students.”

Students questioned Fong about many subjects, including the arts, sports, community involvement and Greek life.

Fong also spoke about his family, his experiences, and his goals and plans for Ursinus.

Morale was high as students exited the auditorium, and the student body could not be more excited to welcome Fong to its home at Ursinus.