Vice President of Student Learning Ken Meier is headed for greener pastures. Butte College, a small community college near Chico State University in Oroville will soon welcome Meier as their new Vice President of Learning.

He will also fill the role of chief instruction officer of the Butte-Glenn Community College District.

Butte appealed to Meier not only because of the clean air and beautiful scenery, but also because it is a single college district. This is important because he says that it is “easier to get focused and address issues when you don’t have competing colleges.”

He calls it “an exciting opportunity to go off to another school and make a difference.”

Meier will also be guiding the college in the development of their new educational Master Plan.

Butte College is facing accreditation in three years and was interested in setting a student outcome model based on the process used at BC.

Meier gives his kudos out to the BC faculty, who he says is responsible for “Bakersfield College being seen as one of the leaders in student outcomes in the state.”

Meier says that community college saved his life and describes his position within the educational system is “a career I am very satisfied with.”

Meier, who comes from a poor family, says his father left when he was 5, followed by his mother passing away when he was 16.

“Education kept me focused, and a community college professor convinced me to go on,” he said.

Following his education at Mt. San Antonio Community College in the San Gabriel Valley, Meier received his bachelor’s degree at UCLA, went to graduate school at UC Irvine and is currently a doctoral candidate at University of Arizona.

He taught for 23 years in Arizona before coming to BC. He has been here for five years after making a promise to stay for three. Meier says he has “dedicated my whole career being focused on student learning.”