Tracy Klein’s Statement of Candidacy

I have been a full-time faculty member at WSU since 2013 in the College of Nursing in Vancouver, where I was tenured in 2019. Prior to my faculty role, I was a student twice at WSU—once for completion of my family nurse practitioner post-master’s certification and subsequently for my PhD (while working full time as a policy analyst with the state of Oregon). These roles all helped evolve the depth and breadth of my conceptualization of this complex multi campus system we know as our state land grant institution and enable me to analyze both challenges and solutions from multiple perspectives. My service roles at WSU have focused on supporting and engaging the faculty in the privilege of shared governance. At the college level I’ve been the chair of Faculty Affairs and a member of the Health Policy and Graduate Retention and Admissions Committee. At the campus level I’ve served on the Council of Faculty Representatives, Diversity Council, and Scholarship Committee. At the university level, I was elected to the Faculty Status Committee in 2021 where I currently serve as co-chair, and to the Faculty Senate in 2022. Though relatively new to the Senate, I have decades of leadership experience at the state and regional level, as well as six years of service on a national professional board (American Association of Nurse Practitioners). My regional and national multi-disciplinary experiences include current service on the Oregon Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Advisory Committee and the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board’s Scientific Advisory Committee as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s Benzodiazepine Titration Guideline Advisory Group.

My primary approach to issues of policy is analytical and transparent. I believe that as faculty we face multiple challenges including how to mentor and advance junior faculty while we retain valued and experienced faculty with a high level of expertise. We cannot do this without sustainability of our salaries and policies that are explicit and clear in the faculty manual which recognize and stabilize all faculty in their jobs. My vision is not just to drive excellence, but to recognize, lead, and nurture excellence which is already here among the faculty. I believe in strengthening communication between campuses while recognizing that each has a unique culture and mission. In seeking this position, I would be the first Senate Chair from the Vancouver campus. It Is my hope that my willingness to serve underscores my support and commitment to system wide shared governance. I have the support of my college, campus, and fellow colleagues on multiple committees to commit to this service load. I look forward to serving the faculty and the university in a Senate leadership position.

Tracy Klein
Associate Professor
College of Nursing
WSU Vancouver