James Benson
Adjunct Faculty
Management
jbenson@boisestate.edu |   208-426-1313
Bio
University Biography: Jim has been a member of the Boise State University faculty since 2000. He instructs upper-division students on the fundamentals of Employee and Labor Relations, Human Resources and Occupational Safety and Health. His course work puts high emphasis on the development of ethical problem solving tools, decision making, practical perspectives and critical thinking in managing difficult Employee Relations issues. Hands-on experiential techniques are used with students to assist them in identifying potential employee issues and resolve problems before they occur.

Industry Biography: Before joining Boise State, Jim managed the Operations Human Resource function for a Fortune 500 Company. Responsibilities included the development and implementation of strategic and tactical employee relations initiatives in a corporate as well as a manufacturing environment. Jim represented his company as chief spokesperson negotiating cost-effective labor contracts without work stoppages or loss of management rights. He is well versed in various labor law matters such as contract interpretation, grievance handling and labor arbitration. He designed and implemented alternative dispute resolution processes for both salaried and hourly employees. He successfully negotiated and resolved equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment complaints with both state and federal agencies. In addition, he designed and facilitated a “world-class” loss prevention process and developed an audit processes to maintain levels of performance


Education
  • BBA degree from Idaho State University
  • Postgraduate work in Labor Relations, Safety and Health, Loss Prevention, Organization Development, Applied Psychology, Labor Law and Legislation
  • Harvard Law School Senior Management Development Program on Conflict Resolution and Negotiations
  • Executive Development Program at Cornell’s Institute of Labor Relations in Ithaca, New York
Awards, Honors, and Certifications
  • Senior Professional in Human Resource (SPHR)
  • 2009 Boise State University Management Adjunct Instructor of the Year
  • Life Member of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity
Areas of Interest
  • Ethical responsibility of management in organizations
  • Individual success and career development
Current Courses - Spring 2012

HRM305-003
Human Resource Management
TuTh 3:15PM - 4:30PM
HRM340-001
Employee and Labor Relations
TuTh 1:40PM - 2:55PM