Curriculum Specialist, Quality Assurance and Enhancement

OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabeg and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we live, work and create.

Please note that internal job postings are open only to current permanent OPSEU Local 576 Unit 1 employees and temporary OPSEU Local 576 Unit 1 employees with one year of continuous service.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Manager, Teaching Support and Curriculum Enhancement, the Curriculum Specialist, Quality Assurance and Enhancement provides facilitative leadership, consultation and support to facilitate effective and evidence-based curriculum review, renewal and enhancement at the university with an emphasis on supporting Cyclical Program Review (CPR) processes. The Curriculum Specialist works closely with academic leadership, faculty and other stakeholders to build sustained and collaborative relationships and serves as a subject matter expert, providing leadership and guidance on matters related to curriculum renewal and enhancement. By disseminating promising practices, grounded in critical and evidence-based approaches, the Curriculum Specialist fosters a robust culture of continuous and learner-centred quality improvement at the university that enables the creation of equitable, accessible student learning experiences.

The Curriculum Specialist, Quality Assurance and Enhancement provides individual and team-based support and resources to program teams through the university’s CPR process and supports a variety of other curricular planning activities, including new course and program development, mode of delivery planning and inter-institutional pathway agreements. Through its focus on curriculum review, renewal and structural change, the Curriculum Specialist plays a leadership role in helping to realize related goals and priorities of our Academic and Strategic Plan.

This position is eligible for hybrid work arrangements; however, a minimum of two to three days per week of on-campus work is required with flexibility to adjust the days and times of work on campus to meet programming needs.

Summary of Responsibilities:

• Working closely with the Office of the Vice-President, Academic & Provost (VPAP), the Faculties and School of Graduate Studies, and in consultation with the Manager, Teaching Support and Curriculum Enhancement, develop annual and multi-year plans for curriculum development and renewal activities, resources, initiatives and related programming; create a routine cycle of annual curriculum development and renewal offerings that support the development of a robust culture of continuous quality improvement at the university.
• Develop and support processes and practices to create a culture of research-informed, learner-centred curriculum development, renewal, planning and enhancement.
• Provide facilitative leadership, consultation and resources to support team leads and program teams undertaking the Cyclical Program Review (CPR) process to conduct timely, effective and rigorous renewal processes; liaise with the Office of the VPAP and Deans.
• Provide consultation, guidance and support for new course and program development, mode of delivery planning and other curriculum development initiatives and provide subject matter expertise in quality assurance processes to the curricular innovation team, as required.
• In collaboration with the Office of the VPAP, provide guidance to academic leadership and other stakeholders to ensure that quality assurance processes are aligned with and informed by Ministry policy and post-secondary educational research and practice; advance critically reflective practice and disseminate critical, evidence-based research across all curriculum development, renewal and enhancement activities to support the university’s Academic and Strategic Plan commitments and facilitate the creation of equitable, accessible student learning experiences.
• Work with stakeholders to facilitate the development and implementation of qualitative and quantitative data collection tools to support CPR and other curriculum development, renewal and enhancement processes, consulting with the Office of Institutional Analysis and the Office of the Registrar as required.
• Develop, implement and advocate for co-design and other mechanisms that centre learners in curriculum development and renewal processes; build relationships with and collaborate with relevant student-facing staff and student groups.
• Establish comprehensive curriculum planning resources, tools and processes to support the university community with a range of curriculum renewal processes, including CPR, new course and program development and mode of delivery planning; consult with the Office of the VPAP and contribute to review and revision of the university’s Institutional Quality Assurance Policy (IQAP) and related tools and resources, ensuring alignment with educational best practice.
• Develop and facilitate professional learning programming that integrates promising practices in curriculum design, implementation and assessment and other areas to support curriculum development and enhancement goals and priorities.
• Develop and implement program monitoring and evaluation tools to regularly evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of the curriculum renewal and enhancement supports provided.
• Collaborate with teaching and learning staff and management to integrate emerging curriculum goals and directions into annual portfolio planning and programming, ensuring that professional learning programming is responsive to emerging curricular needs and directions.
• Undertake and support curriculum mapping, course inventory and related processes to advance curricular goals and priorities (e.g., sustainability, experiential learning); develop and implement systems to annually review and maintain related course tagging processes, collaborating with subject matter experts as required.
• Work with the Office of Admissions and the Faculties to guide articulation agreement processes from a quality assurance perspective; provide support and guidance for the development of new and renewed degree completion programs, pathways, partnerships, bridging and articulation agreements and conduct analysis of learning outcomes and relevant curriculum of proposed new partnerships and initiatives as required.
• Provide subject matter expertise to other stakeholders at the university to support effective curriculum development, planning and renewal and adherence to Ministry requirements and best practices in post-secondary education, as required.
• Conduct educational research, including collaborative Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) projects.
• Through research, reading and participation in professional associations, stay current with advancements and trends in curriculum development, quality assurance and teaching and learning in post-secondary education with an emphasis on art and design education.
• Participate in departmental planning in support of the University’s strategic and academic plans and Centre goals and objectives.
• Support the Manager(s) and Director with special projects that contribute to the successful operation of the Centre.

Qualifications:

• Graduate degree in Curriculum Studies, Education or related field; equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Minimum of six (6) years of experience in a post-secondary teaching and learning centre or similar support unit designing and delivering teaching support and curriculum development programming including experience working with academic administrators, faculty and students.
• Prior experience working within the curricular context of art and design education an asset.
• Demonstrated understanding of best practices in curriculum development and quality assurance in higher education with experience facilitating curriculum development, planning and renewal processes.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and facilitative leadership skills, and a demonstrated ability to exercise tact, sound judgment and commitment to confidentiality; demonstrated commitment to relationship building.
• Demonstrated analytical and strategic thinking skills and ability to use collaboration, consensus-building and dialogue to resolve conflicts, anticipate and respond to resistance, and navigate differences.
• Strong personal initiative and ability to work independently coupled with collaborative work skills and consultative approach to decision-making.
• Program planning skills with ability to meet deadlines and manage complex projects; demonstrated attention to detail.
• Demonstrated knowledge and application of the relevant educational literature and advances in teaching and learning research (e.g., Universal Design for Learning (UDL), instructional design, assessment, student development, inclusive teaching, digital learning).
• Demonstrated experience developing and integrating decolonizing, anti-racist, accessible and translingual approaches and pedagogies in previous work or study.
• Advanced group facilitation skills.
• Experience designing and implementing needs assessment and program evaluation tools.
• Educational research and data analysis skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to the principles and practices of equity, anti-racism, decolonizing and accessibility; experience promoting a respectful work and learning environment for students, faculty and staff.
• Strong digital literacy and computer skills, including a high degree of facility in the use of all Microsoft 365 applications; experience with multimedia technologies and the use of communication, collaboration, and other teaching and learning technologies.
• A high degree of facility and experience with learning management systems, previous work experience with Canvas by Instructure is an asset.
• Flexibility to adjust hours and location of work as needed to support programs and events outside of regular office hours and location.

Compensation: OPSEU Unit 1, Appendix B, Grade B4; $46.33 to $60.88 per hour.

Hours of Work: Monday to Friday, for a total of 35 hours per week. The anticipated start date for this role is December 2, 2024.

Interested internal permanent OPSEU Local 576 Unit 1 or temporary OPSEU Local 576 Unit 1 employees with one year of continuous service applicants are invited to submit an updated resume, with cover letter, no later than Monday, November 4, 2024.

• Please upload your resume and cover letter as one PDF. Please name your upload:FirstName_LastName-Job Code

As an employer committed to employment equity, we encourage applications from members of equity-seeking communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions.

We encourage members of designated equity-seeking groups to self-identify within the voluntary Applicant Questionnaire.

In order to alleviate the under-representation of racialized and Indigenous administrators, priority in hiring will be given to qualified racialized and Indigenous persons who self-identify as such in the application process. This initiative is a special program under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

OCAD University is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact People & Culture for more information or refer to OCAD U’s Policy of Accommodation in Employment for Persons with Disabilities.

All qualified persons are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those short-listed will be contacted.