Meet Ben Packer

BYU-Pathway’s Student Success Vice President

BY: Brianna Hale

Equipped with the experience and passion for student services, Ben Packer joins the BYU-Pathway team as the program’s first Student Success Vice President.

Ben Packer is BYU-Pathway’s first Student Success Vice President.

Ben began his professional career in student services at the University of Kansas, where he worked in the university’s admissions department and received a master’s degree in higher education. After graduating in 2004, Ben began working at Brigham Young University-Idaho admissions, where he helped oversee the Heber J. Grant program alongside BYU-Pathway Worldwide’s current president, Clark Gilbert. This program’s goal was to help low-income, first-generation college students succeed at BYU-Idaho, and it inspired Ben to continue helping underserved students.

Five years later, Ben pursued a PhD in higher education from the University of Arizona and worked as the director of Student Services for the University of Arizona South. Shortly after, Ben began working at the Erie Community College in Buffalo, New York, as the executive vice president of Student Affairs for three years. In addition, he served as the college’s associate vice president for Enrollment Management.

Taking his administration experience from these other universities, Ben moved back to Rexburg, Idaho, in 2016 and began work as the managing director of Student Services at BYU-Idaho. Ben is now BYU-Pathway’s first vice president of Student Success, overseeing BYU-Pathway Support, Mentoring, and the Dean of Students.

Ben hopes to enhance the online learning experience for students. The creation of BYU-Pathway Worldwide allows one continuous program, from starting PathwayConnect to graduating with an online degree from BYU-Idaho. One of his biggest goals is to provide students additional contacts and support to help them complete PathwayConnect and go on to earn a certificate or degree.

In his free time, Ben enjoys spending family time with his five kids and wife, Sara, playing games, sharing meals together, and going on hikes. Ben also loves to further his passion of lifelong learning by finding the time to research and study new topics.

Ben enjoys spending time with his with his wife and five kids through different outdoor activities.