For students who would like to improve their management skills and advance their careers, or for students who would like to apply a relevant certificate to their Associate in Business degree, West Valley College offers an Administrative Management certificate in a completely online format. Students completing the certificate take: Business 34: Human Resource Management, Business 36: Strategic Management, Business 68: Organizational Behavior, and Business 78: Business Communication. All courses are CSU transferable.
It’s extremely gratifying to work with students as they progress through this multi-faceted online experience. Students have the opportunity to apply the Boston Consulting Group Matrix and numerous other strategic management tools to contemporary organizations with a goal of improving organizational processes and results. Students are able to apply these tools in their own workplaces and then enjoy the benefit of sharing their experiences in online discussion forums and chat rooms. There is great synergy in the outcomes as students elaborate on what they have learned.
Students are very grateful for the online environment as some have indicated that without this option, they would not be able to attain this certification due to busy work and personal schedules. Since I’ve been teaching online classes since 2001, I hope I’m effectively meeting the challenges of designing and maintaining a successful virtual classroom. I’ve learned that it’s very important to offer a clear, well-organized content area where students can easily access vital course information. My classes include topical and timely video clips and scholarly articles to enrich the course content. Probably the most important course component is to communicate regularly via weekly updates and prompt responses to student questions and assignments.
Since I get to know students fairly well in the virtual classroom, I have many great and memorable experiences. In particular, I recall one year at graduation when I heard a student’s name being called to receive her diploma and I realized that I had never met her face to face! I didn’t quite catch who she was when she went to the dais, so I wasn’t able to find her to congratulate her after the ceremony. Ever since that experience, I always upload a photo and videos of myself and I ask students to upload their photos so I can connect their names to their faces when I see them at graduation!
Heidi Diamond is an instructor in and Division Chair of WVC’s Business Division. In addition to being the college’s Accreditation Liaison, she directs WVC’s annual Entrepreneurship Academy.
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