BESAC REPORT: VIRTUAL OFFICE MANAGEMENT

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BESAC REPORT VIRTUAL OFFICE MANAGEMENT

• Carole Bennett, Chair

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What is a VA?

• A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an independent
  entrepreneur providing administrative, creative
  and/or technical services. Utilizing advanced
  technological modes of communication and data
  delivery, a professional VA assists clients in
  his/her area of expertise from his/her own office
  on a contractual basis.
• Source the International Virtual Assistants
  Association web page www.ivaa.org

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Colleges Offering a VA Program(year begun)
current students

• Santa Rosa Junior College (2004) 60
• Palomar Community College (2004) 20
• Mira Costa College (2004) 10 students
• Owens College (2005)
• Southwestern Com College (2001) 3
• Red Deer College (2003) 36
• Camosun College (n/a)
• Source Michelle Ulrich, Virtual Assistant
  Specializing in Contact Management, Graphic
  Design Marketing

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A Model Certificate Program

• VA programs are built upon existing courses
• Three (or four) courses added
• How To Create a Virtual Office
• How To Manage a Virtual Office
• How To Market the Virtual Office
• Internship for the Virtual Assistant

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Certificate Core Requirementsapproximately 17
units

• Creating and Managing the Virtual Office (new
  course)
• Marketing the Virtual Office (new course)
• MS Word
• Business English
• MS PowerPoint
• MS Publisher
• MS Access
• Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management
• Business Ethics

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Certificate Electives at least 5 units

• Introduction to the Internet
• Word Processing, Core and Expert
• Access DBMS
• Microsoft Excel, Core and Expert
• Computerized Accounting
• Applied Accounting/Bookkeeping
• Business Etiquette
• Internship for the Virtual Assistant (new
  course)

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Areas of Specialty

• Marketing
• Bookkeeping
• Accounting
• Real estate
• Insurance
• Medical
• Graphic design
• Web design and maintenance

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Model Course Outlines

• Composite course outlines from the following
  colleges
• Riverside Community College
• Santa Rosa Junior College
• American River College

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COURSE Creating and Managing the Virtual
Office 3 Units

• Time management, workplace customization,
  software/hardware evaluation for the virtual
  office entrepreneur or telecommuter.

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COURSE Marketing the Virtual Office3 Units

• Identify and evaluate various techniques to
  secure employment as a virtual assistant. Topics
  include networking, virtual interviews, and
  development of Web marketing resources.

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COURSE Internship for VAs 3 units

• Supervised internship in cooperation with private
  or public sector employers for Computer
  Applications and Office Technology program
  students.

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An aside

• Online courses are exploding at Santa Rosa Junior
  College
• We began in 1996 with our first online course
• In Spring 2005, 166 online sections served 2,751
  students
• Today, we cannot offer enough online courses
• Students are excited about working from home and
  are attracted to the VA program

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Members of the Committee

• Carole Bennett, Santa Rosa Junior College, Chair
• Judy Dolan, Palomar College
• Roietta Fulghram, American River College
• Janet Lehr, Riverside Community College.
• Linda Snider, Grossmont College
• Michelle Ulrich, Virtual Assistant, Sacramento