HCTCs Lauren Bates honored for teaching excellence

HCTC has named Assistant Professor Lauren Bates recipient of the 2010 New Horizons Faculty Award of Excellence for her teaching in the nursing program.

Bates got high marks for her high academic achievement standards; community and college service; her positive, caring, and inspiring attitude; for maintaining a stimulating learning environment. She was praised for her work in facilitating a new student seminar along with other nursing faculty, providing nursing students a good orientation to the nursing program so they could understand the study skills and time management required to be successful. It was so important for students to have a good overview of the program before they began. As a graduate of the HCTC nursing program, I can remember feeling overwhelmed and nervous. We are very dedicated to student success at HCTC, and this orientation has proved beneficial. By giving our students adequate tools and showing them that faculty genuinely care about their success, we are giving them a head start to the program, noted Bates.

Donna Combs, Nursing Program Coordinator, noted the success of Lauren s work. When compared to beginning students in previous nursing classes, there was a significant increase in the retention of the students in the new nursing class that attended the New Nursing Student Seminar in August 2009. I feel that the seminar is one of the major strategies implemented by the nursing faculty that contributed to the increased retention rate of this class of students.

HCTC President/CEO Dr. Allen Goben stated, Lauren has demonstrated keen insight and incredible initiative this past year with the orientation She is an invaluable resource to our entire team, as her wonderful ideas, energy, and vision provide a positive stimulus for continual improvement.

Student Janis Parks said, Lauren cares about her students; she is approachable and willing to help at any hour of the day. She makes sure students understand the content they are studying; yet she influences the students to think on their own, with her direction and guidance.

Bates joined the faculty in 2006. Prior to that, she worked at Kentucky River Medical Center for seven years as a registered nurse and worked for a total of four years at Nim Henson Geriatric Center, both in Jackson.

Education includes a master s degree and a bachelor s degree in science from Eastern Kentucky University and three associate degrees from HCTC.

As part of the recognition, Bates will attend the Drexel University Nursing Education Institute in Myrtle Beach and be honored by the Kentucky Community and Technical College System at a state meeting.

Lauren and her husband Wallace, have a son, Caleb, age 7, a first-grader at Highland Turner Elementary School. They live in Jackson.