Campus News

Leonard Bates, respiratory therapy program director is retiring from Great Falls College

Leonard Bates is retiring after nearly 40 years with the respiratory therapy program at Great Falls College.

Great Falls College MSU is seeking a faculty and program director for its respiratory therapy program after longtime director Leonard Bates announced his retirement at the end of this school year following nearly 40 years with the college.

Bates started the respiratory therapy program in 1981.

"First off, we would like to thank Leonard not only for his years of service, but for the quality of those years," said Russ Motschenbacher, health sciences division director. "He took the RT program from its beginnings to a program that is regionally recognized for producing top quality respiratory therapists."

It is an exciting time to join Great Falls College's respiratory therapy program as it transitions to a fully online program that will take the program to where students live beginning with the fall class.

The program is the pilot for the OneMSU Network that aims to allow programs at Great Falls College, City College Montana State-Billings and Gallatin College MSU to expand their reach by holding classes remotely.

The idea will be that students across southwestern, central and eastern Montana will take their prerequisites at the college closest to them before enrolling in Great Falls College and taking the classes remotely. Depending upon where the students live, they may have to travel for clinicals.

"It will take a motivated leader to see into the future and help us redesign this program," Motschenbacher said.

Those interested in applying can learn more about it here.