BELFAST — Allison Small was named early college programs coordinator at the University of Maine, collaborating with high school students who wish to enroll in live and online courses.

“The University of Maine’s early college programs provide a gateway to higher education for Maine’s high school students and affords them a tremendous opportunity to expand their academic horizons,” said Small, ina news release. “I am pleased to create and steward partnerships with our schools, parents, students and homeschool community.”

Early college programs allow students still enrolled in high school to earn tuition-free college credit. It is possible for a qualified student to matriculate into college with over 24 earned credits, lessening the time the student will be in college.

The recent expansion of a statewide early college program strengthens the partnership between secondary and higher education; increase degree attainment; reduce the debt load on Maine college graduates, and build bridges to Maine careers. More information about UMaine’s Early College program is online: umaine.edu/earlycollege.

“I am thrilled to have Allison as our new early college programs coordinator, “said Patricia Libby, director of the Hutchinson Center, in the release. “She will be instrumental in supporting high school students as they gain access to University of Maine courses and programs, and in providing leadership to our early college team.”

Prior to joining the University of Maine, Small served as a regimental officer at Maine Maritime Academy, where she participated in four consecutive summer training cruises traveling with 300 students and crew members to ports in Europe and the United States.

Small also held student services positions at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of the Pacific in California. Small has extensive experience in legal support through her previous employment as a case manager at a labor and employment law firm in Norfolk, Virginia.

Small is an active member of Women on the Water, an organization that supports professional development for Maine women pursuing maritime careers. She holds a master’s degree in student personnel administration from SUNY College at Buffalo State.

For more information about early college programs at the University of Maine, contact Allison Small, early college programs coordinator, 581.8002; allison.small@maine.edu.

About the University of Maine:

The University of Maine, founded in Orono in 1865, is the state's land grant and sea grant university. As Maine's flagship public university, UMaine has a statewide mission of teaching, research and economic development, and community service.

UMaine is among the most comprehensive higher education institutions in the Northeast and attracts students from Maine and 49 other states, and 62 countries, according to the release. It currently enrolls 11,404 total undergraduate and graduate students who can directly participate in groundbreaking research working with world-class scholars.

UMaine offers more than 100 degree programs through which students can earn graduate certificates, master's, doctoral or professional science master's degrees. The university promotes environmental stewardship, with substantial efforts campuswide aimed at conserving energy, recycling and adhering to green building standards in new construction.

For more information about UMaine, visit umaine.edu.