With the Cantonese language program at City College of San Francisco facing elimination due to budget cuts, a City College Trustee on Wednesday announced a proposal to save the program — which he said is essential for the city’s historic Chinese community. For the upcoming Spring semester, City College will only offer one Cantonese class. According to City College Board Trustee Alan Wong, because the program doesn’t offer a certificate, it’s likely to be cut as community colleges receive funding partially based on success outcomes measured by degrees and certificates. Wong has proposed setting City College on a path to include Cantonese classes in degree and certificate granting programs by establishing transfer agreements with four-year institutions like the University of California, so that Cantonese classes would be counted towards a degree.
