Irvine : College Filling Local Needs, President Says

Ronald Kong, who took over as president of Irvine Valley College on June 1, said Tuesday at a press conference that the college is moving into the high-tech education field in response to a growing need from local industry.

Noting that the state already has funded new construction for the campus, Kong said: “The new buildings will allow us to grow and to provide the high-tech courses that industry wants. We are getting a lot of support from industry. I noticed that immediately when I came here. This college will be offering the training programs to serve the industries.”

Kong emphasized that the expansion of high-tech courses will not be at the expense of the basic academics Irvine Valley offers as general education courses. These courses, such as English composition and college math, are needed by students who plan to transfer to four-year universities.

Kong, 49, is the former dean of Cosumnes River (Community) College in Sacramento. He said his wife and two of his five grown children will join him in Irvine in the near future. His wife is liquidating a bonsai tree business the Kongs started in Sacramento as a backyard hobby, he said.