Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Paul Manthei on Building Connection and Purpose in Higher Education

Dr. Paul Manthei has built a career around helping students find their purpose. From the manufacturing floor to the classroom, and eventually into university administration, his professional journey reflects a deep commitment to education, access, and mentorship. As a faculty member in the online Master of Arts in Education in Higher Education Administration program from LSU, Dr. Manthei brings both experience and heart to his teaching. 
 
In this Spotlight, Dr. Manthei shares his thoughts on teaching online, inspiring students, and the future of higher education.  

Meet Dr. Manthei 

Please tell us about yourself and your background. 
I have spent most of my life in schools, either as a student, as a teacher, or as an administrator. Education truly is one of the most rewarding professions a person can be involved with in terms of serving and helping people achieve their dreams and goals. I have been married for 33 years to my wife, Laura, a retired pharmacist, and we have three children. Our oldest son works as a librarian for the Free Library System in Philadelphia. Our middle son is a market research analyst for an advertising company in Baton Rouge, and the youngest son is taking some time off from college to decide on his career choice. 
 
I got into education as a career later in life than most teachers. After spending about five years in industrial management in the plywood industry, I wanted to go in a different direction professionally. As a supervisor in a plywood manufacturing plant, one of the parts of my job I enjoyed most was teaching new employees the knowledge, skills, and responsibilities of their new job position. All through school, many of my own teachers had told me they thought I would be a good teacher, so when I decided I wanted to make a career change, I went back to school at LSU to earn my master’s degree and certification to teach Secondary English. I taught English in grades 10, 11, and 8 for almost ten years before deciding to return to school for my doctorate in Educational Leadership in Research & Education, again at LSU. 
 
While writing my dissertation, I was hired as a Supervisor and Instructor for secondary teacher preparation programs in the LSU School of Education, and I have continued working at LSU in various positions. 
 
After spending several years working in teacher preparation, I became an Assistant to the Director of the School of Education and worked on accreditation and special projects. Part of those responsibilities included the School of Education’s development of new online programs and later serving as a coordinator and academic advisor for two of those online Master’s programs – Higher Education Administration and Educational Technology. In 2020, I began working in the College of Human Sciences & Education Dean’s Office as the Director of Logistics for Online Programs & Continuing Education Partnerships. As an administrator, there were times I missed working directly with students, so about a year and a half later I took on additional responsibilities as Academic Advisor for the online Master’s in Higher Education Administration program. I also regularly teach a course in academic advising for the Higher Education Administration program. 

What is your favorite topic to teach? Why? 
My favorite course to teach is Academic Advising. It’s a course I designed after realizing a large number of our students in Higher Education Administration planned to go into careers where they were either going to be advising or working directly with students. Effective advising is so important to the retention and success of students in higher education. It’s a useful course that is not taught as part of many degree programs, but it goes to the heart of serving students and helping them meet their goals. There is a lot more to academic advising than just helping a student choose their courses. 

How do you create a sense of excitement and enthusiasm about your course subjects? 
I think it starts with the instructor’s own attitude about their subject. You have to be excited and enthusiastic about the course, or courses, you are teaching. That enthusiasm comes through in your teaching, in your feedback to students’ assignments, in conversations you have when students have questions. If you don’t care about the subject you are teaching, then why should the student? 
 
Instructors should also value and listen to student feedback in their course evaluations. It helps you find out what is working and what is not so you can make changes or updates to your course. I try to think about it from the student’s perspective. Is this a class I would want to take? Is this a class I would enjoy as a student? Does it have meaning and value? Will it be useful to me in my profession? If an instructor can’t answer yes to all those questions, then they can’t expect a student to be excited or enthusiastic about the course subject. 

What are the biggest challenges and rewards of teaching online? 
As someone who has taught face to face and online, two of the biggest challenges teaching online are making a personal connection with students and the lack of opportunity for spontaneity. Some of the best teaching moments in my career were completely spontaneous, not scripted or planned. Those moments are not really possible in asynchronous online courses. Developing a connection to students in an online setting is also difficult. You have to really work at it. You have to give regular feedback on assignments, not just a grade. You have to make yourself available to answer questions when a student needs clarification regarding the material or better understanding regarding an assignment. 
 
Still, the rewards are there. Being a part of the learning process for a student and helping them achieve their academic and professional goals can be very rewarding. I also like to read and hear feedback from my students. When students take the time to let you know they enjoyed your class or really liked the textbook you chose because it was easy to read and really understand, or they tell you they really got something of value from your class; those moments make all the work and time spent worth it. 
 
One of the most rewarding things about online education is also knowing that it gives students, who otherwise may not have access to education because of where they live or their life circumstances, a chance to educate themselves. Online education provides opportunity. 

Can you describe a time when a student’s progress or achievement inspired you? 
I’m inspired all the time by our online students. Most online students are nontraditional students. Many of them work full-time or part-time. Many of them have families. Many of them are returning to school after a long time away from the classroom. 
 
Online students face so many challenges, and yet, still they keep working to educate themselves, to improve their job opportunities, to enhance their lives. I’m inspired by the parent who is working full-time and has a family, yet still somehow manages to find time to complete their assignments every week. I’m inspired by the student who hasn’t been in a college classroom in 20 years who is going back to school to be able to make a career change or qualify for a promotion at work. I’m inspired by the student, who because of a disability, may have difficulty physically attending a traditional college, but persists in their education. Time is valuable and precious, and our online students sacrifice time they could spend doing other things because they want to further their education. That is inspiring! 

How do you see the future of online education evolving? 
For a long time, many educators were resistant to the idea of online education. They considered it a fad that would soon pass, or thought it was ineffective. They looked down on it. Some still do. 
 
Well, I think online education is obviously here to stay, and it’s only going to become a more integral part of education. One thing the pandemic taught us is that online education is viable as an option. Online education provides access when it might otherwise not be possible. As it becomes more acceptable as an option, it gains credibility. 
 
Artificial Intelligence, used responsibly by educators, can be a useful tool, and I think we will see it integrated more into education – both in online and traditional education – as a means for addressing gaps that currently exist. Improvements in technology will also help us simulate personal experiences that can be difficult to replicate online by allowing us to create more engaging lessons and assignments. 
 
There is also some great work being done with hybrid courses that blend online and traditional education. I believe that will be more prevalent as technology improves and becomes more economical as an investment for colleges and universities. As long as we face the challenges of making online education accessible and engaging while maintaining quality and best practices, I do not see a future that does not involve online education in some way. 

Inspiring the Next Generation of Higher Ed Leaders 

Dr. Manthei’s insight, dedication, and belief in the power of education are just a few reasons why students thrive in LSU’s online Master of Arts in Education in Higher Education Administration.  

Ready to start your journey in higher education? Explore the program today and see how LSU Online can help you take the next step in your career.