Bill would fund 4-year degree program at Canada Bill would fund 4-year degree program at Canada (March 14, 2001)

Bay Area legislators have introduced a bill to help fund a new program allowing students at Woodside-based Canada College to earn a four-year degree.

Authored by Assemblyman Lou Papan (D-Millbrae) and Assemblywoman Carole Migden (D-San Francisco), the bill would allocate $1 million to the Pathways Project, a joint effort between Canada and San Francisco State University.

The money would cover the project's first-year costs, said Barbara Christensen, director of community and government relations for the San Mateo County Community College District.

This fall, Canada College will begin its four-year electrical engineering program. Much of the funding is needed to renovate engineering labs to accommodate the last two years of the new program, Ms. Christensen said.

"The Pathways Project is a unique approach to addressing critical shortages in key professions," Mr. Papan said.

Project officials also plan to include four-year programs in computer information science, multimedia, business, biotechnology, health sciences and teacher credentialing.

All Pathways classes will be offered at Canada College; the program is intended to alleviate overcrowding at San Francisco State University. The program also seeks to improve access to four-year public college programs for San Mateo County residents who cannot commute to San Francisco or San Jose State.