DIXFIELD — In an effort to make college more accessible to high school juniors and seniors, the University of Maine at Farmington has teamed up with Dirigo High School for the Early Aspirations Program.
The program aims to challenge high school students with college-level material taught by a full-time UMF professor in a high school classroom, UMF spokeswoman April Mulherin said.
The program launched this spring, when Dirigo High School students got to experience Psychology 101, a course taught by Rhonda Jamison, UMF assistant professor of psychology.
She said students who participated received high school credit, college credit on an official UMF transcript, “and the belief in themselves that they can be successful in college.”
The course was organized by Jamison, Dirigo High School Assistant Principal Jason Long, and Dirigo teacher Bradley Conant, Mulherin said.
Long said, “Like a lot of high schools out there, we were pursuing more early college opportunities for students, and because of our proximity to UMF, and some of the relationships that people here have with UMF, we were able to create something.”
Long said Jamison teaches at Dirigo High School two days a week, while Conant uses Jamison’s materials on the other three days to “supplement and support her work.”
“The students aren’t just getting college-level instruction but are also gaining the support of an outstanding veteran teacher,” Long said.
Jamison, who recently completed her second academic year as an assistant professor at the UMF, said she had never taught a college-level course to high school students before, but she “immediately saw the merit in participating and didn’t hesitate from the beginning.”
She added that there are two notable benefits of participating in a college-level course while in high school.
“First, the students are introduced to what college-level courses will be like, which takes the mystery out of the college experience and exposes students to academic life beyond high school,” she said. “Second, the students will begin their college career with course credit, which puts them on the path to meeting their future college goals.”
Participating students toured the campus, met professors, listened to college students present research projects, and ate in the dining hall during their two visits, Jamison said.
Conant said his experience with the program has been “very positive.” It was his first time participating in an Early Aspirations program.
“Being the classroom teacher three days a week, but following professor Jamison’s curriculum, is fun for me,” Conant said. “Being a college-level class creates a different expectation for the challenging workload, and fills the classroom with kids who are interested. Students of various backgrounds and abilities, showing any kind of interest in psychology and rising to the challenge, seems to work well in our case.”
He said the reaction from students has been largely positive.
“The professor keeps them hooked on the subject matter,” Conant said. “The workload gets a few choice comments now and then, but I think they realize that this is their college future. Work is part of that. I think they understand that in the end.”
Student Katelyn Olsen said she found the class “really informative and fun at the same time.” She said Jamison “cared about us and our performance in her class while pushing us outside of our comfort zones.”
She also enjoyed the discussion and activities that Jamison offered because it helped enhance learning.
“I enjoy having to push myself and learn new, abstract things, and this class really did that for me,” Olsen said.
Joseph Caruso said the Psychology 101 course has been worthwhile, and has taught him several new things, such as “how we perceive color, how humans develop morality, and even about why we have bizarre dreams.”
He added, “Coming into this class, I was well-aware I wanted to major in psychology when I went to college. This class has reaffirmed that belief. Excelling in this class has shown me how much I belong in the psychology program.”
Jared Cash, UMF’s vice president for enrollment, said that over the next five years, early college opportunities will be expanded.
Conant said he has already agreed to participate in the program again.
“I’d hate to learn from a myriad of minor mistakes and then not get to use the new knowledge,” he said. “Plus, I enjoy the subject matter and enjoy working with professor Jamison.”
Jamison agreed, adding, “Any time you do something new, there are always things that can be improved.”
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