LEWISTON, Maine -- Richard C. Williamson, professor of French at Bates College, was selected to participate recently in the annual reading and scoring of the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations in French.

Each year the AP program, sponsored by the College Board, gives hundreds of thousands of capable high school students an opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses and examinations and, based on their exam performance, to receive credit and/or advanced placement when they enter college.

Williamson earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in teaching at Yale University, and a master's and doctorate in French language and literature at Indiana University.

More than 840,000 examinations in 16 disciplines were evaluated by almost 3,700 faculty consultants from high schools and universities across North America. Drawn from various ethnic groups and from every state, these men and women are some of the best high school and college educators in the United States and Canada. They represent some of the finest academic institutions in North America. In addition, the AP program has faculty consultants from Belgium, Bolivia, Columbia, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The AP reading is one of the few settings in which academic dialogue between school and college educators is fostered and strongly encouraged. "The reading draws upon some of the finest teachers and professors that America has to offer," said Dr. Wade Curry, AP program director at the College Board. "It fosters professionalism, allows for the exchange of ideas and strengthens the commitment to students and teaching. We are very grateful for the contributions of talented educators like Professor Williamson," Curry said.