Biography

Dr. Schaeffer has been with The University of Memphis since 2002 and has been an instructor teaching information technology courses since 2004. Professionally, he has over 40 years of IT experience across a variety of industries, including IBM, founder/CTO of Memphis-based ThoughtWare Technologies, and 11 years working for central IT at the University of Memphis. For the last 10 years, he has worked for the Fogelman College of Business and Economics in a variety of roles including online teaching coordinator for the college and the director of assessment for AACSB and SACS.  Since 2019, Dr. Schaeffer has been a full-time instructor for the MIS department.

Dr. Schaeffer is a Memphis native with a BS in Biology from Rhodes College (1978), an MS in Math/Computer Science from the University of Memphis (1982), and an EdD in Higher Education leadership and Adult Learning from the University of Memphis (2010).

Education

• Doctor of Education, The University of Memphis
• Master of Science, The University of Memphis
• Bachelor of Science, Rhodes College

Teaching interests

The Role of Technology in Organizational Effectiveness, Internet Governance, Project Management, Data Analytics and Visualization

Research

Research Interests

Faculty Teaching Effectiveness and Culture, Quality of Learning in Fully-Online Teaching

Selected Research

Schaeffer, S. & Racer, M. (2019). Faculty with Disabilities. In C. Schiro-Geist (Ed.), Minority Voices in Higher Education. San Diego, CA: Cognella Press.

Spiceland, C., Spiceland, D., and Schaeffer, S. (2015, January 15). Using a course redesign to address retention and performance issues in introductory accounting. Journal of Accounting Education. Retrievable at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0748575114000979#.

Schaeffer, S. (2014, April 4) – Maximizing Employability and Employment as an IT Professional in the 21st Century. Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges – Mid-South Symposium. (Lemoyne Owen College, Memphis, TN.)

Schaeffer, S. (2013, May 29-31) – Analysis and findings on the role of technology in a multi-year institutional course redesign effort at the University of Memphis. EDUCAUSE Southeast Regional Conference (Atlanta, GA).

Schaeffer, S., St. Clair, J., Melton, R., and Plyler, M. (2011, October). Campus-Wide Integration of Mobile Technologies for Teaching and Learning: Elements of Success. Regional Conference on Mobile Technologies for Teaching and Learning (Memphis, TN).

Conrad, L., Gates. K., Johnson, R., and Schaeffer, S. (2011, June). Can We Do It? Making It Work in the New World; or, Managing Increased Complexity at the Organizational Level in the Real World. EDUCAUSE Southeast Regional Conference (Charlotte, NC).

Schaeffer, S. (2010, September/October). Online Learning is here to stay. EDTECH Focus on Higher Education.
East, R. and Schaeffer, S. (2010, June). The Changing Fabric of Higher Education: What Lies Ahead? EDUCAUSE Southeast Regional Conference (Atlanta, GA).

Schaeffer, S. (2010, May). An exploration of the influence of instructional technologies on faculty motivation and teaching innovation on a research campus. Doctoral thesis submitted to the University of Memphis College of Education.