Building Future Leaders with Faith and Integrity

Scott Hamm, Director of Pedagogical Partnerships, Abilene Christian University

Scott Hamm is a seasoned education leader with extensive experience in online learning and technology-enhanced pedagogy. He has held roles spanning mobile learning research, faculty development, and online program direction. Hamm is deeply committed to equity in education through culturally competent and student-centered approaches. Scott values character, collaboration, and innovation and seeks to prepare students for success in changing environments.

Navigating Higher Ed’s Shifting Currents

My career in higher education has been shaped by curiosity, challenge, and a desire to help learning communities thrive. Before becoming Director of Pedagogical Partnerships at Abilene Christian University (ACU), I worked in different roles that showed how innovation and leadership can work together.

I began at ACU in its online division and later became Director of Mobile Learning Research just as the iPhone appeared. Our staff explored how new tools such as the iPhone, iPod, and later the iPad could transform teaching and learning. At a time when “mobile learning” was just taking shape, ACU became the first university to give each student an iPhone or iPod, and we wanted to implement that responsibly. We ran annual research projects, published results, and hosted a mobile learning conference that attracted educators from across the world.

Later, I transitioned to Hardin-Simmons University to direct their online programs. That move was both personal and professional, giving me a chance to stay rooted in ACU while building something new. Over eight years, we launched ten programs, including an EdD online, and I enjoyed the creativity and growth that work required. Eventually, though, the university shifted into maintenance mode due to financial pressures, and I felt called back to ACU, where new opportunities awaited.

Partnering for Equity

Alongside administration, I focused on fostering cultural competence in online education. Instructional design, shaped in post-war North America, often reflected a monocultural mindset. I wanted to understand how marginalized students experienced learning in that context and how we could make courses more equitable. With my wife, who was then ACU’s

“We seek to prepare students for excellence in a world enriched by AI while grounding them in values that foster service and responsibility”

Chief Diversity Officer, I partnered with Texas universities to examine their online programs. That research led me to Allison Cook-Sather’s studies on pedagogical partnerships, which bring faculty and students together to improve courses. We adapted her work for online settings, piloted it at ACU, and developed a data-informed framework that now supports pedagogical partners.

Today, I focus on building these partnerships and measuring their impact through data triangulation. What began as storytelling about collaboration between faculty and students has become a structured model for improving teaching and learning.

Navigating Christian Education

In Christian higher education, I see persistent challenges. Recruiting students, supporting their persistence, and keeping them engaged through graduation are priorities not just for financial stability but because education shapes lives and callings. I also observe pressures around return on investment, shifting demographics, and the need to serve an increasingly diverse student body. These factors require me and my colleagues to help institutions adapt while staying true to their mission.

Technology adds another layer to this work. Artificial intelligence is the latest disruption, advancing more rapidly than earlier innovations. I find that universities are constantly recalibrating, balancing the opportunities AI offers with the risk of deepening inequities. Like other innovations before it, AI challenges me to think carefully about how it is integrated and how it can serve our purpose.

From 2007 to 2013, smartphones, tablets, and widespread internet access reshaped learning. Social media accelerated communication, while online courses moved from tapes and mail to widely available platforms. Those changes eventually became part of daily life. AI is the most recent wave, and like the others, it asks us to respond with intention and care.

For emerging professionals and experienced leaders, clarity of purpose is essential. Historically, apprentices learned not only the techniques of a craft but also its meaning. Whether baking bread or designing courses, understanding the why shapes how we adopt new tools. With AI or any innovation, leaders should ask how it supports their mission, what ethical or environmental concerns it may raise, and whether it aligns with a principle of doing no harm.

Ethics and Excellence

I once repeated the phrase that AI would not take jobs, but people who use it well would. My perspective has grown. Competence with technology is important, but qualities like character, wisdom, collaboration, and imagination matter even more. When I mentor student researchers or collaborate with faculty, I look for integrity, energy, and a willingness to see others succeed. Technical skills can be taught, but character lasts.

At a faith-based university, this view gains depth. We consider technology through theological and ethical lenses, reflecting on what it means to be fully human while engaging with digital tools. We aim to prepare students for excellence in a world enriched by AI while grounding them in values that foster service and responsibility. Innovation and intentionality can thrive together when guided by mission. Across every wave of change, the central purpose of education remains the same: to help people grow in knowledge, wisdom, and character.

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