Cottage Health System announced Friday the formation of a partnership with California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo.

Boasting clinical nursing classes, classroom space and faculty at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, it’s the first program in Santa Barbara County to offer bachelor’s degrees in nursing.

“This partnership with Cottage allows the BSN program to grow and thrive,” Janael Rose, a recent graduate of CSUCI’s three-year BSN program, said at Friday’s news conference.

Cottage Health System CEO Ron Werft thanked Cottage’s volunteer board of directors for committing $6 million over the next 10 years to the program, which will admit up to 22 students per year.

“The timing of this is very fortuitous. (The BSN program) will begin in the winter of 2012. That happens to be the same time that we’ll be moving into … a new hospital for Santa Barbara,” said Werft, referring to rebuilding construction under way at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

— Noozhawk staff writer Ben Preston can be reached at bpreston@noozhawk.com.