Some California community colleges will offer bachelor’s degrees for first time

For the first time in California, up to 15 community colleges will be able to offer bachelor’s degrees in fields where skilled workers are especially needed — health, science and technology— under a pilot program signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Duplicating courses offered at the University of California or California State University would not be allowed under the bill authored by Sen. Marty Block, D-San Diego, which shakes up the California Master Plan for Higher Education. For 54 years, the Master Plan has defined separate roles for the state’s three higher education systems, with community colleges able to offer only two-year associate’s degrees or vocational certificates.

But the idea of expanding college offerings has broad support, and dozens of colleges are already lining up with proposals they hope will win the competition, including Skyline College in San Bruno (respiratory therapy); Cañada College in Redwood City (radiologic technology, or medical imaging); and the College of San Mateo (dental hygiene).

“Employers in California seek candidates with advanced credentials, and many struggle to fill positions in some of the fields that will be covered under the new program,” said Brice Harris, chancellor of California community colleges, who credited the new law with expanding access to higher education without competing with CSU or UC.

Elsewhere, 21 states let community colleges offer bachelor’s degrees.

Under California’s pilot program, students would pay $84 a credit for upper-division courses. Lower-division courses would still cost $46 a credit.

The state chancellor’s office will judge the college proposals and consult with UC and CSU to come up with the winning 15. Each winner will be able to offer only one program, which has to pass muster with the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. Meanwhile, the community college Board of Governors has until March 31 to figure out how to pay for the pilot program.

Students will begin taking courses by fall 2017 and must finish by spring 2023. During that time, the new law requires several evaluations to make sure it’s a good idea.

The idea of offering bachelor’s degrees is exciting some colleges, such as Skyline, Cañada and the College of San Mateo, all part of the San Mateo Community College District that has been itching to offer higher degrees since 2001. That was when the district won a $1 million grant to create the University Center at Cañada College so professors from San Francisco State, Cal State East Bay, and the private Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont could teach university courses there. The degrees, however, come from the universities, not Cañada College.

District officials hope that will now change — at least for one winning course.

“I’d be very surprised if we weren’t picked because we’ve been at the forefront,” said Barbara Christensen, spokeswoman for the San Mateo Community College District. “It’s a benefit for the community. There are probably a lot of radiologic technicians working who might want to come back for a bachelor’s.”

Students also hope the move to community colleges can keep them from having to turn to costly private programs. When the bill was introduced last winter, Ric Perez, a respiratory therapist at San Francisco General Hospital was thrilled.

“I think it’s a fine idea,” said Perez, who pays $13,650 a year for a bachelor’s at online National University. He said jobs have dried up for less-educated people in his field. Employers “start picking students with masters, then bachelor’s. Associate’s degrees are low on the totem pole,” he said. “There are no jobs” for them.

Community colleges are not the first to bust through California’s otherwise sacrosanct Master Plan for Higher Education. In 2005, CSU won the right to offer doctoral degrees.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: asimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov