Carole Dence (née Paintin) graduated from Brandon College in 1964. Following her completion of studies at Brandon College, Carole undertook graduate studies at Laval, Aix-en-Provence and McGill where she completed a M.A. in French language and literature. She was the founding director of the Teaching and Learning Resource Centre at Carleton. Currently, she is the Director of the Centre for University Teaching at the University of Ottawa.

A long-time member of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE), Carole recently played an active role in the founding of the national Educational Developers Caucus, the professional organization for people engaged in the enhancement of university teaching.