Job Description

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


OCAD University, Canada's largest and oldest art and design university, is a vibrant community of bold, curious and compassionate artists, designers and scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful, equitable and sustainable world. The University is an internationally renowned hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity, and arts administration. It embraces collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to change-making through art, design-thinking curriculum and research, making OCAD U a local, regional, national and global leader in art and design.


It is an exciting time to join the OCAD U community as the University is at a key stage in its institutional transformation, with the implementation of its Academic and Strategic Plan and guiding principles -- driving positive impact; decolonization, indigenization and equity; environmental sustainability; emerging as a vibrant hub; student centered approaches; innovation in learning teaching and research; and financial stewardship.


Reporting to the Manager, Curricular Innovation Initiatives, the Curriculum Specialist, Curricular Innovation works closely with faculty, academic leadership and academic support staff to develop and implement a range of projects and initiatives supporting curricular innovation and transformation at the university. The Curriculum Specialist disseminates promising practices, grounded in critical and evidence-based approaches, and provides process facilitation, curriculum development and renewal support, and professional learning resources to ensure that new approaches to curriculum delivery are student-centred, equitable, accessible. Working closely and collaboratively with a small, multi-disciplinary team in an agile, outcomes-driven environment, the Curricular Innovation Specialist provides responsive, flexible and research-based support, resources and expertise.


The Curriculum Specialist supports the integration of digital learning approaches in studio-based art and design education and serves as a subject matter expert in the area of Generative AI (GAI), collaborating with faculty to develop discipline-specific approaches to GAI across the undergraduate and graduate curriculum. Through its focus on curriculum renewal and transformational change, the Curriculum Specialist plays a leadership role in advancing the university's strategic priorities and helping to realize related goals and priorities of our Academic & Strategic Plan.


The Curriculum Specialist works collaboratively within the Centre for Learning and Teaching (CLT) as part of a larger team delivering a range of programs and services for faculty, students, teaching assistants and other instructional staff. Together, they collaborate with the university community, providing leadership and support to create and sustain equitable and engaging teaching and learning environments for all OCAD University (OCAD U) students.

Summary of Responsibilities:

Participate in annual planning processes to establish priorities and annual and quarterly plans of curricular innovation projects and related programming, supporting the priorities of the Faculties and School of Graduate Studies, the Curricular Research and Development (CRD) Committee and the Cost of Delivery Working Group; develop resources and capacity-building programming that fosters and enables a broader culture of curricular innovation and transformation at the university Develop, implement, evaluate and disseminate the outcomes of a range of curricular innovation projects, initiatives and related professional learning programming, collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams of faculty, academic support staff and students Work with the Coordinator and project teams to develop project plans, schedules and workflows for curricular innovation projects and initiatives; where relevant, liaise with the Office of the Vice-President, Academic & Provost (VPAP) to develop robust academic governance consultation and approval processes and timelines and provide related guidance to project teams Conduct evaluative research and analysis and facilitate information and data-gathering to support projects and initiatives; provide research, documentation and summary reports to project team members and other stakeholders Liaise and work collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure clear communication of project activities, milestones, status and scope changes and guide workflow coordination between project team members; provide regular project updates to the Manager Monitor internal and external trends in post-secondary education and art and design curriculum delivery and foster interdisciplinary connections, dialogue and collaborations that build internal capacity for curricular responsivity, innovation and change Serve as a subject matter expert on digital learning and Generative AI and identify annual priorities and special projects related to digital learning, Generative AI and curricular innovation, consulting with stakeholders and undertaking research as required; develop, implement and evaluate collaborative projects to build critical digital literacy and related promising pedagogical practices across disciplines and modes of delivery Develop teaching, learning and curriculum planning resources to support curricular innovation goals and knowledge dissemination Lead the implementation of a pedagogical innovation micro-grant program to stimulate curricular innovation across undergraduate and graduate programs and in alignment with OCAD University's (OCAD U's) Academic and Strategic Plan priorities; develop and disseminate resources to support faculty to develop micro-grant project proposals and undertake related Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) projects, collaborating with teaching and learning staff to facilitate engagement across portfolio areas Work with the Educational Developer, Teaching Support and Multilingual Pedagogies to co-lead the development and implementation of the OCAD U Teaching Exhibition, a showcase of teaching in art and design education; contribute subject matter expertise to facilitate the planning of other university-wide teaching-focused initiatives such as Academic Year Welcome 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 as required Conduct educational research, including SoTL projects; contribute to research funding proposals to advance portfolio goals and priorities, as required Collaborate with teaching and learning colleagues on joint teaching development programming to ensure that annual professional learning programs and priorities are responsive to emerging curricular needs and building sustained capacity to support curricular change Maintain currency in advances and trends in teaching and learning in post-secondary education with an emphasis on art and design education; participate in academic and professional conferences and associations Support the Centre and provide leadership across the university by attending meetings, serving on committees, and acting as a collaborative partner on campus and community initiatives related to teaching and learning Assist the Manager and Director in other related tasks that contribute to the successful operation of the Centre and support its strategic objectives

Qualifications:

Doctorate in Curriculum Studies, Education or related field with post-secondary teaching experience; 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; post-secondary studies in Art or Design and/or a present or past creative practice a strong asset Demonstrated understanding of best practices in curriculum development and quality assurance in higher education with experience facilitating curriculum development, planning and renewal processes Advanced knowledge of best practices in technology-enabled learning and critical digital pedagogies with knowledge of emerging and promising practices in Generative AI; demonstrated experience developing programs and resources to support the design and delivery of high-quality digital learning experiences 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 with openness to exploring non-standard approaches to facilitate change; ability to use collaboration, consensus-building and dialogue to resolve conflicts, anticipate and respond to resistance, and navigate differences Excellent professional and academic writing skills; experience writing for varied purposes across different media, genres and audiences (academic and non-academic) an asset 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 Proven ability to work under pressure to meet frequent deadlines; flexible, adaptable and responsive to change Demonstrated knowledge and application of relevant educational literature and advances in teaching and learning research (e.g., Universal Design for Learning (UDL), instructional design, assessment, student development, inclusive teaching); experience using unconventional research methods or non-traditional sources outside of primary discipline an asset Demonstrated experience developing and integrating decolonizing, anti-racist, accessible and translingual approaches and pedagogies in previous work or study Advanced facilitation skills; Instructional Skills Workshop certification an asset Experience designing and implementing needs assessment and program evaluation tools Knowledge of educational research methodologies and data analysis skills; engagement in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) through publications and presentations an asset 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:

Hiring Range - $84,311.75 to $96,656.35 per annum, commensurate with experience, plus benefits; Salary Range - $84,311.75 to $110,808.36 per annum.

Hours of Work

:

Total of 35 hours per week.

Mode of Work:

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

Start Date:

Monday, May 12, 2025.

Application Deadline:

Interested applicants are invited to submit an updated

*resume and cover letter (

PDF

) by selecting "Apply Now". The review of applications will begin

Friday March 21st, 2025

with an application deadline of

Wednesday March 26th, 2025

.

We are aiming to hold interviews the week of

April 7th, 2025.

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-deserving 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-deserving 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.