Educational Research Scholarship Unit (ERSU) Terms of Reference

Vision: Be a leader in educational scholarship by conducting research that impacts post-secondary educational practice and disseminating the findings to dental and dental hygiene professionals as well as other colleagues.

Mission: The mission of the School of Dentistry, Educational Research & Scholarship Unit (ERSU) is to support the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) within Dentistry, Dental Hygiene and Biomedical Sciences. The ERSU will engage in and support research on teaching and learning activities at multiple levels; ranging from reflection on formal educational experiences within the university to the examination of educational activities that are part of the practice of oral health care in today's society. Utilizing qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method approaches, the Unit will explore a wide variety of educational research initiatives.

The Unit's placement within the School of Dentistry enables the Unit to actively engage in faculty and/or program-wide teaching and learning initiatives. This Unit will engage in enabling over-arching educational research initiatives that expand beyond the boundaries of a single course or educational experience. The ERSU will become a central repository of all educational research activities within the School with the intention of promoting the work of the School within this field as well as ensuring that our faculty, students and associated agencies and participant groups are not excessively surveyed, interviewed and/or analyzed to support the research activities occurring within the School. Creating an environment that is both sustainable and achievable is necessary to continue a positive educational research experience for all involved.

The Unit's aim is to have faculty engaged in scholarly reflection, inquiry, and research in all aspects of educational activities and in the subsequent dissemination of research findings. Through the Unit's activities, which include professional development activities within teaching and learning, educational technology and educational research, faculty will focus on informing and enhancing the educational practice within dentistry and dental hygiene. Professional development activities will be done in collaboration with the Associate Chair (Academic) to ensure coordination between faculty development in teaching and learning and educational research. The Unit will facilitate a process for faculty to present their ideas or their developed projects and receive formative feedback from members of the Operational Committee as appropriate.

Additionally, the Unit will foster a collaborative environment within and beyond the School of Dentistry. As educational research is transdisciplinary, the ERSU will engage in opportunities to conduct research and disseminate findings across disciplines and will work with other such Units across the university, and beyond, in the advancement of teaching and learning.

View the ERSU Operational Committee Terms of Reference (ToR) HERE.

Directorship and ERSU Duties and Responsibilities

Director:

  1. The Director of the ERSU will be appointed by the Chair of the School of Dentistry.

  2. Director of the ERSU Duties and Responsibilities
    The Director will:

    1. Serve as the official representative of the ERSU to the School of Dentistry, the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, and other University and non-University entities. When needed, the director will appoint a designate to serve this purpose.

    2. Ensure faculty and graduate students receive appropriate support from the ERSU and the School of Dentistry to carry out their research programs. This support will be based on balancing the needs of the research program with the strategic alignment of the research with the goals of the School, Faculty and University and the resources available within the Unit.

    3. Oversee the entire research portfolio of the ERSU, and is responsible to help facilitate any new initiatives and activities in the ERSU.

    4. Oversee the duties and responsibilities of the Lead Educational Researcher appointed to the Unit.

    5. Oversee the supervision of the Research Assistant(s) engaged by the Unit.

    6. Set priorities for the Unit based on their alignment with the School of Dentistry's strategic plan.

    7. Recommend and ensure the School of Dentistry is informed of any development in or changes relating to the research program within the Unit, including changes affecting the way research is conducted, participation and changes to personnel, and any substantial research advancements or discovery by one of the ERSU faculty, staff, or students.

    8. Submit approved educational research proposals to the Chair, School of Dentistry for final approval.

Lead Educational Researcher:

  1. Lead Educational Researcher Duties and Responsibilities
    The Lead Educational Researcher will:

    1. Support the daily operations of the Unit.

    2. Participate in strategic planning for the Unit at the direction of the Director.

    3. Engage in Faculty and program-wide teaching and learning initiatives to provide support in best practices and research themes.

    4. Review general needs, resources, and usage of common research space and core research facilities under the direction of the ERSU, which are primarily or secondarily used for research purposes, and make recommendations to the ERSU Director for the development, usage and efficiency of these resources and space.

    5. Provide leadership and guidance for the formulation, organization and execution of multi-investigator, multi-departmental, multi-faculty or multi-institutional research initiatives among investigators in the ERSU.

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Created: September 2016

Reviewed and Revised: February 2021