É«ÀÇÉçÇø

James Beury has garnered a reputation at É«ÀÇÉçÇø’s Office of Advising & Student Information Services (OASIS) as one of the most endearing and helpful individuals in É«ÀÇÉçÇø Global. His enthusiasm towards helping both his colleagues and É«ÀÇÉçÇø students is matched only by his willingness to go the extra mile. For many of his fellow workers, his cheerful attitude has improved office morale and made their work environment more engaging. Recently, departmental superlatives were awarded and they made his oft-repeated nickname official - Mr. Helpful.

Beury has been working with É«ÀÇÉçÇø Global for three years and in that time he’s cultivated strong relationships with his colleagues. “I really like the people I work with,” Jim said. “It’s something I look forward to when I come to work everyday. We’re like a family here. It really is a home-away-from-home and we have a fun atmosphere. We help each other.”

Laurie Baker, director of OASIS, has been a coworker of Jim’s for nearly three years and has seen how his helpful nature and bright demeanor affects his connections with the people around him. “He makes it a point to build a relationship with everyone on the team and to talk, even if it’s briefly, to everyone in the office - every day,” Baker said. “His example reminds me to work harder on this and to reach out more often to connect with everyone on my team.”

Long before Jim made his way to É«ÀÇÉçÇø, he worked in sales. There, he honed the skills necessary to assist others, recognize when someone may need support, and identify opportunities to create a positive experience.

“Customer service is very, very important,” Jim said. “As an employee here at É«ÀÇÉçÇø, addressing student concerns is a large part of customer service. We have to be able to help the students with a smile on our face, while also being professional when a student has an issue they need to resolve.”

“Jim takes the customer service role very seriously,” Laurie said. “Jim frequently stresses the importance of quality service, and of making sure that the dreaded "É«ÀÇÉçÇø Runaround" always stops with him. He works hard to reduce the “silo effect” that we all struggle with, and builds relationships with the other units within Global.” 

In his role, Jim performs registrar functions for graduate students in the Henry M. É«ÀÇÉçÇø College of Engineering and the Rohrer College of Business. He makes a concerted effort to guide them in the process as he handles student accounts and ensures they are able to register for a class they need. 

In one instance, an engineering student who had recently matriculated encountered a registration issue with a desired class that is known to fill-up quickly. Jim reviewed his account and everything appeared clear for registration. The student logged in to register as soon as the class opened at 7 a.m. However, he encountered an error with his account. “I came in that morning to frantic emails and voice messages,” said Jim. “‘I can’t get this class.’ I was able to fix the problem, but by 9:30, the class was already filled. 

“The student hadn’t done anything wrong, so I reached out to the professor to explain the situation and was able to get the student into the class. I was happy I could fix a problem, and the student wrote a really nice letter to my supervisor about what I had done for him. And it’s not just me, there are many times our division goes above and beyond with customer service.”

His dedication towards helping others doesn’t stop at work - it is reflected in his family life, as well. He volunteers as a den leader in Cub Scouts and is an assistant coach for kids’ soccer. Jim believes in not only helping the community, but making sure his children understand the value of helping others.

“You have to give back to your community,” Jim said. “You can’t just take and take, you have to always give back in some form. I try to instill that in my kids. Whether it’s holding the door open or helping people across the street, it’s something that needs to be taught and I hope they understand just how great it is to help others.”

Helpful inside and out. At work and at home. Mr. Helpful has earned his nickname and happily passes out smiles to everyone who is lucky enough to cross his path.