Service is a hallmark of the career of Associate Professor Tracy McClinton, DNP, AGACNP-BC, APRN, who began her term as president of the Faculty Senate at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center on July 1, 2024.
A native of Milan, Tennessee, Dr. McClinton became a certified nursing assistant as a teenager to discern whether she was suited to the nursing profession. “I didn’t know if I would like it, but I loved taking care of older people,” she said.
After earning her nursing diploma and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Dr. McClinton worked for many years in intensive care in Memphis hospitals. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Adult Gerontology-Acute Care from the College of Nursing in 2013 and joined the UT Health Science Center faculty in 2015.
Just two years after joining the faculty, Dr. McClinton was involved in the Faculty Senate, thanks to encouragement from Professor Emeritus Margaret “Peg” Hartig, PhD, APRN-BC, FAANP, who was a two-time Faculty Senate president and a longtime campus leader. “Peg was my guide and mentor. Once I joined, I saw how impactful it could be,” she said.
Dr. McClinton is proud of the collaboration and changes that have occurred since she has been part of the Faculty Senate. “We advocate for the faculty. We now have multi-year appointments,” she said.
Prior to the adoption of multi-year appointments, faculty members would sign a contract for work annually, which Dr. McClinton said can make recruitment and retention challenging. Now, faculty members can sign an appointment letter of up to three years.
“Having a voice at the table on behalf of the faculty is important,” she said. “It is rewarding being trusted to articulate the needs of the faculty and Faculty Senate.”
Dr. McClinton also expressed gratitude for the collaboration of campus executives with the Faculty Senate. These include Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD; Vice Chancellor of Academic, Faculty, and Student Affairs and Chief Academic Officer Cindy Russell, PhD, RN; Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic and Faculty Affairs Valarie Fleming, PhD, CCC-SLP; and Executive Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration and Chief Operating Officer Raaj Kurapati, AIFA.
“It has been the true essence and embodiment of shared governance, and for that I am grateful.”
Dr. Tracy McClinton
Dr. Russell said, “I was excited to see Dr. McClinton start her year as president of our UT Health Science Center Faculty Senate. She is a true advocate for our faculty members across all areas of our mission. Her leadership will be vital as we partner together to advance our vision – Healthy Tennesseans. Thriving Communities. – and move our strategic plan forward. I look forward to our collaborative work.”
During her tenure on the Faculty Senate, Dr. McClinton has been on the senate’s Research Committee, Executive Committee, and Clinical Affairs Committee. As president, Dr. McClinton will facilitate three Faculty Senate meetings each month and will attend many more.
Dr. McClinton recognizes that some of her other service work may need to be curtailed during her term as president. Outside her faculty role, she is very involved with her church, where her husband is an associate minister. She is in the choir and involved in the health ministry and mission work.
As she looks forward to her year as Faculty Senate president, Dr. McClinton looks back at the mentor who set her on this path. “Peg was absolutely a role model for me. If not for her mentorship, I don’t know that I would be in the position that I am today,” she said. “At every point in my UT Health Science Center career, I could give a shoutout to Dr. Peg Hartig, whether it is in scholarship, service, or teaching.”