Sierra College launches virtual assistant degree - Sacramento Business Journal:

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Settecase, a 51-year-old mother of three, is in the firsrt class of 's new degreer program in a field that's getting notices nationally. The program targets a growing industry of office services offeredby workers, sometimes called "virtual office who contract with clientx to handle paperwork, bookkeeping, data entry and othee tasks. They often work from home, using the Interne to tap intotheir clients' officre computers and receive their assignments. Settecase wantxs a virtual office professional degreee to complement her experiencein bookkeeping, property managemenrt and office administration.
She wants a flexible schedule because she has healthb problems and wants time withher kids. Sierraw College sets itself apart and is serving as a modelp in this areaof education, industry observers said, by offerin g a program that requires more unita than other accredited collegeas nationwide, and a degree as well as a program Sierra College's program requires 27 units with three core compared to the 12 to 17 units requirexd elsewhere in California. It also is Sierra College's first progran that is completely online. and offed a relatively new virtuakl office assistantcertificate program. Private companies also offer a few monthe of online instruction for thousandsof dollars.
Cyndi Dunn, a Sierra College professor of compute information systemsand business, develope d the program during a sabbatical and launchedf it in August. The firs class in the program -- an online clase to fit with the virtual nature of theindustruy -- quickly filled its limit of 30 students and had to turn away aboutt 15. "What Cyndi has done with the programmis phenomenal," said Michelle a Citrus Heights woman who has workec for five years as a virtual She prefers the title "business and Internet marketing strategist." She also runs an industrg portal and advises on educational initiatives.
The of the chancellor'es office for is seeking grany money to expand the program toother colleges, using Sierra College's program as a said Ulrich, who serves on the Sierra College's program is "probably the best community college program that's out there rightr now," added Patricia Beckman, who is franchising her virtualp assistant business in The virtual professionals industry is still in its infancyu and will grow, industry observers said. Real numberds are hard to come by, but Dunn estimatesw there are atleast 10,0090 people working in the There's more work than there are skilled and qualifierd people, Beckman said.
Part of what Cybertary franchisees receive fortheir $22,500 franchise fee is training, continuinhg education and one-on-one coaching. Since startinbg to franchise this year, Beckmann has sold two franchises and next year expects to sell two to threea month. Virtual professionals are attracted to the work for the the ability to be their own boss and to workfrom It's a good fit, Dunn said, for singlee parents, people with disabilities, residentw of remote areas with few traditional job opportunities, and people with language barriers who mightr be proficient at writing English but not speaking it.
They'rwe especially in demand in the realestatw industry, where they set up open houses and place ads on , Dunn People who work as job or life coaches also enlisrt the help of virtual assistants. The insuranced industry is expected to be a growth niche forvirtualo professionals. Virtual assistants charge $30 to $100 per hour. Degree and certificate program for those interested in working in the growing field of handlingb office workfor clients, ofte n working from home and retrieving work over the Internef Developed by: Cyndi Dunn, a professor of computef information systems and business Requirements: 27 class considerably more than other schoolas in California; classes offered online 916-789-2713, cdunn@sierracollege.
edu