Curriculum Vitae

Raymond P. Scheel, M.Ed. • Associate Director for Course Development • Adjunct Instructor

Professional Summary

Senior digital learning strategist, curriculum architect, and educational technology leader with three decades of progressive experience spanning public higher education, statewide correctional education, and workforce development. Specializes in enterprise-scale digital learning governance, multi-campus LMS infrastructure, applied instructional systems design, and emerging AI adoption in curriculum delivery. Over fifteen years of continuous leadership at Sam Houston State University Online, directing course development and platform operations supporting over 34,000 active users and hundreds of academic and workforce programs across the Texas State University System.

Education & Academic Credentials

Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Instructional Systems Design & Technology
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Science

Minor: History & Secondary Education. Completed full secondary teacher preparation program, student teaching internship (Angleton ISD), and passed Texas Educator Certification examinations in Computer Science, History, and Secondary Education.

Higher Education Experience & Academic Leadership

Faculty Appointment • Jan 2026 – Present Adjunct Instructor, Department of School of Teaching & Learning

Deliver undergraduate instruction within the Bachelor of Science in Learning Technologies (LETE) program, treating the virtual classroom as an applied laboratory for digital tool fluency and diagnostic problem-solving:

  • LETE 1303 (Learning Technology Tools): Foundational digital systems, troubleshooting workflows, software evaluation, and technical literacy.
  • LETE 2301 (Design and Development of Learning Materials): Applied instructional design, multimedia authoring, user accessibility, and formative evaluation.
  • Architecting foundational undergraduate modules prioritizing a "debug-first" methodology that prepares students to write precise, professional technical documentation and trouble tickets.
Administrative Leadership • May 2023 – Present Associate Director for Course Development
  • Direct end-to-end curriculum design operations, quality assurance, and asset production pipelines supporting 34,000+ active users across SHSU and the Texas State University System (TSUS) Online Shared Services Consortium.
  • Supervise, mentor, and evaluate a cross-functional team of instructional designers and project coordinators, enforcing standard development lifecycles and milestone tracking through Monday.com.
  • Guide curriculum architecture for the SHSU Polytechnic College, structuring accelerated 7.5-week terms and stackable, workforce-aligned certificate pathways in Practical AI, Intelligent Automation, and Cybersecurity.
  • Serve as founding expert advisor and operational consultant to generative AI Working Groups across TSUS partner institutions, authoring guidelines for ethical, prompt-resistant assignment design and technical integration.
  • Direct senior technical escalations, troubleshooting LMS behavior, SCORM compatibility, LTI integrations, and complex instructional breakpoints.
Sept 2016 – April 2023 Assistant Director for Course Design
  • Served as Lead Architect and Product Owner for the TSUS Online Shared Services consolidation, leading the multi-year migration and unification of five institutional LMS environments into a central SaaS core.
  • Synthesized the SUNY OSCQR and Blackboard Exemplary frameworks to engineer a system-wide QA rubric, driving a verified 17% increase in end-of-course student usability and satisfaction metrics.
  • Served as lead digital learning advisor for the launch of the SHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, designing high-stakes curriculum readiness frameworks that contributed to an inaugural 10-Year Accreditation with Exceptional Outcomes.
  • Supported institutional digital enrollment expansion from 4% to over 23% of total university FTE by establishing scalable master course shells and iterative development schedules.
  • Spearheaded academic continuity during regional disasters, engineering the 10-week late-start term model during Hurricane Harvey and the emergency remote instructional model during COVID-19 adopted by more than 200 institutions.
April 2011 – August 2016 Instructional Designer & Team Lead
  • Recruited, onboarded, and supervised instructional design staff during early organizational expansion from 14 to over 60 digital education professionals.
  • Designed, deployed, and maintained the state-approved Computer Science I & II (Java) curriculum portfolio for the Texas Virtual School Network (TxVSN).
  • Project-managed the mass migration of institutional distance coursework from legacy hosting (Pearson eCollege) into enterprise Blackboard Learn.
  • Designed and facilitated institutional faculty development academies covering accessibility, digital pedagogy, and effective online evaluation.

State Agency, Systems & Correctional Education Experience

Feb 1996 – March 2011 Progressive Technical, Systems & Evaluation Leadership Roles
  • Database Administrator & Lead Programmer (2005–2011): Supervised technical staff, managed large-scale relational database infrastructure, and engineered web-enabled data systems replacing manual reporting bottlenecks across state correctional facilities.
  • Programmer III / Evaluation Specialist (1998–2004): Designed automated reporting pipelines aligned with federal O*NET and SOC workforce classifications; conducted compliance audits; coordinated data synchronization between TDCJ and higher education partner institutions for college registration exchanges.
  • Systems Support Specialist IV & Y2K Lead (1996–1998): Served as multi-site UNIX administrator across distributed facilities; directed statewide Y2K remediation for core educational databases with zero unscheduled downtime.
  • Interactive Media & Curriculum Development: Authored interactive digital learning objects and simulation courseware in Macromedia Flash supporting high-dosage literacy and vocational mastery tracks.
Jan 1994 – Aug 2024 Technology Consultant

Delivered independent systems consulting, database programming, e-commerce architectures, and technical training for commercial, non-profit, and regional clients utilizing PHP, JavaScript, SQL, and UNIX environments.

Statewide & System Collaborations

  • TSUS Online Shared Services Consortium: Ongoing operational and course design leadership across Lamar Institute of Technology, Lamar State College Orange, Lamar State College Port Arthur, and Sul Ross State University.
  • THECB OERTX Digital Instruction Hub: Collaborative curator and author for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board statewide repository for open educational resources and online course templates.
  • TSUS AI Working Groups: Advisory and consulting member across Texas State University System institutions, guiding curriculum adaptation, faculty prompt design, and AI syllabus policy.
  • SHSU Online AI Faculty Certification: Contributing curriculum designer for the university-wide faculty development program in applied artificial intelligence.

Scholarly Presentations, Workshops & Invited Talks

Upcoming • July 2026 The Red Pen vs. The Robot: Designing "Un-Cheatable" Assignments in the Dawn of Skynet
June 2025 Breaking the Mold: Fresh Approaches to Online Learning
June 2025 Building Better Assessments: Creative Quizzing & Feedback Techniques
April 2025 Ahead of the Curve: How Blackboard Became the Most Innovative LMS
March 2023 Special Collections: Establishing a System Consortium Improving Instruction and Support
2019, 2020, 2021 Accessible Course Materials 101
2018 Open Educational Resources in the University Classroom
May 2017 Are You Worried About Your Students Cheating?
2015, 2016 Evaluating Elements of Exceptional E-Courses
August 2014 PBS LearningMedia as a Source for Classroom Resources
Federal Invited Workshop • June 2006 Data Collection and Analysis to Improve Program Effectiveness and Outcomes

Honors & Professional Awards

  • Blackboard Catalyst Award – Leading Change (2020) • Recognized for multi-institution platform consolidation and system governance.
  • Blackboard Catalyst Award – Leading Change (2019) • Recognized for enterprise digital accessibility workflows.
  • Blackboard Catalyst Award – Professional Development (2019) • Recognized for innovative faculty development ecosystems.

Professional Certifications & Technical Credentials

  • Microsoft Security Copilot (2025)
  • Career Essentials in Cybersecurity | Microsoft & LinkedIn (2025)
  • Cybersecurity Fundamentals | Palo Alto Networks (2024)
  • Agile Instructional Design & Agile Foundations (2021)
  • Design Thinking: Understanding the Process (2021)
  • Quality Management Foundations (2021)
  • Conflict Competence & Leadership Development (2021)
  • SCO UNIX System V System Administration | Pro Consultants (1997)
  • Advanced filePro Database Programming | Virtual Software Systems (1999)

Community Governance & Service

The Good Shepherd Mission | Huntsville, TX

Provided 25+ years of continuous executive governance, fiduciary oversight, and strategic guidance for a regional non-profit providing food security, emergency shelter, and re-entry services. Oversaw annual operational budgets, major capital and facility expansions, and retail thrift logistics that self-funded client services.

Scouting America (Arrowmoon District, Sam Houston Area Council)

Mentor adult leadership teams, conduct unit health evaluations, and instruct merit badge coursework in outdoor ethics, character building, and technical literacy. Regular contributor to regional conservation and adult volunteer training initiatives.

KPIA 102.5 LP-FM Community Radio (St. Thomas Educational Association)

Oversee FCC broadcast compliance, transmitter site maintenance, scheduling, and community educational programming serving Walker County and regional institutional facilities.

State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC)

Coordinated university-wide participation and workplace giving campaigns supporting health, human services, and educational non-profits across Texas.