Develop a strong skillset to work in an office setting with the Office System Courses in Inver Hills Community College, one of the Twin Cities' premier two-year colleges
Office Systems

Building a strong career with plenty of room for advancement in an office environment demands a full skill set. Modern office professionals need to be versatile, adaptable and innovative team players with an eye on the big picture.

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Office Systems

Contact Information

Sally Dahlquist
Office Systems Instructor

sdahlqu@inverhills.edu
651-450-3567
B135

Admissions Team

admissions@inverhills.edu
651-450-3000
College Center

Here are some key skills employers seek in high-value office professionals:

  1. Verbal and written communication
    You express your ideas clearly and concisely in conversation and writing.
  2. Teamwork
    You work effectively in group settings.
  3. Commercial awareness
    You comprehend the business priorities of your organization.
  4. Analyzing
    You assemble date systematically and problem solve with confidence.
  5. Self-motivated
    You get things done on your own and are constantly improving your work habits.
  6. Planning and organizing
    You plan ahead and carry through with your task list.
  7. Time management
    You meet deadlines and know how to prioritize.
  8. Global skills
    You are tuned to the complexities of diverse cultures.
  9. Negotiating
    You foster harmony and progress through compromise.
  10. Leadership
    You motivate and guide your teammates.
  11. Numbers savvy
    You get math and enjoy math problems.
  12. Computing power
    You are at home with a variety of computer applications.
  13. Lifelong learning
    You can never have enough knowledge and skills.
  14. Stress tolerance
    You work better under pressure.
  15. Professionalism
    You rank producing quality work top on your list.
  16. Decision-making
    You don't procrastinate when determining the best course of action.
  17. Creativity
    You love to apply your imagination to discover workplace solutions.

Office Systems courses at Inver Hills provide training in a number of areas, including keyboarding, document processing, legal office procedures, technical writing, proofreading and office supervision.

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Course Descriptions

OSYS 1101  Keyboarding   2.0 cr

Introduces and reviews the keyboard, along with speed/accuracy development with timed writings. This course is designed for keyboarding novices as well as those individuals wishing to brush up and improve keyboarding skills. Students will also key, proofread, and edit business documents. This course may be repeated for credit three times.

OSYS 1102  Keyboarding and Document Processing II   3.0 cr

An advanced formatting class in which students will prioritize and key integrated projects and simulations. Achieve production-level mastery on business documents and develop a high level of speed and accuracy. Prereq: OSYS 1101 or equivalent.

OSYS 1110  Keyboarding Speed/Accuracy Improvement   1.0 cr

This course uses the Cortez Peter's method to eliminate and to correct errors and build speed and accuracy systematically. The course helps students to identify the particular stroke combinations that are causing speed and/or accuracy problems. Prereq: OSYS 1101 or equivalent. (This course may be repeated for credit three times.)

OSYS 1125  Office Procedures   3.0 cr

The study of office procedures including written and verbal communications, mail handling, human relations, travel and meeting arrangements, financial record-keeping, information processing, telephone techniques, professional growth, and telecommunications.

OSYS 1150  Technical Writing   3.0 cr

This class is designed to cover many aspects of technical writing using a solid foundation of the English language. This class connects the importance of our ever-changing world of technology and computers using excellence in the English language. This course is designed for students that are in sciences, engineering, computer science, business, and pre-professional majors (e.g. nursing, emergency medical and other health services, psychology, law enforcement and paralegal.) Prereq: English 1108 and OSYS 1170. The Student must have a C or better in English 1108.

OSYS 1170  Business English and Proofreading   3.0 cr

For those who want to review/improve their business grammar and develop an awareness of errors in documents. Learn to identify errors and techniques for correcting them.

OSYS 1189  Office Systems Internship   cr

Gives the student practical work experience in an office setting under a qualified on-the-job supervisor. The student should have the opportunity to apply what is learned in the classroom to the working world, and to develop skills and abilities that are the general responsibility of legal office administrators, assistants or secretaries. Prerequisites: Written permission of the director is required one semester in advance of taking this course.

OSYS 2220  Legal Machine Transcription   2.0 cr

Covers a wide variety of legal documents for machine transcription. Students will transcribe legal correspondence, litigation documents, wills, probate documents, and contracts. Students will gain an exposure to legal terminology, legal document procedures, grammar, and punctuation. Prereq: OSYS 1101 or equivalent.

OSYS 2224  Legal Office Procedures I   3.0 cr

This course is designed to help the student acquire skills required of a legal secretary. Topics include the legal secretary's career and legal ethics; general office duties, including telephone techniques, receptionist duties, scheduling appointments, and calendaring; typing legal correspondence and documents; law office filing; and handling client financial reports. Topics also include the job search; the court structure and legal concepts; the alternative dispute resolution process; and constitutional, civil, and criminal law processes and procedures. Prereq: CIS 1101 or equivalent, CIS 1120 or equivalent or enrolled concurrently, and OSYS 2220 or equivalent or enrolled concurrently.

OSYS 2225  Intro to Office Operations & Supervision   4.0 cr

This course is designed for the office professional who may be assuming some responsibility for supervising and/or overseeing the operations of an office. The course introduces the student to the various areas of office operations including the human resources cycle, office technology and equipment, planning and leading meetings, and budgeting. Prereq.: OSYS 1125.

OSYS 2227  Legal Office Procedures II   3.0 cr

This course is designed to help the student continue to acquire skills required of a legal secretary. Topics include the courts and court documents; the litigation (trial) process, the appeal process and other court actions, including probate and estate planning, family law, business organizations, real property, and contract law. Other topics include preparation of noncourt documents, legal research and citations, and the job-hunting campaign. Prerequisite: OSYS 2224.
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Meet the Faculty

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Employment Information

The high-speed office

Technology is the mainstay of the modern office environment. Due to automation and organizational reorientation, office professionals rely on technology and their own troubleshooting skills to take on roles once covered by managerial staff. Office work is demanding, fast-paced, team-based and rewarding.

As an office professional, you will carry out essential administrative and clerical duties, including:

  • Managing information
  • Scheduling
  • Organizing and storing digital and hard copy files
  • Overseeing projects
  • Making travel arrangements
  • Supervising databases
  • Creating presentations
  • Completing reports
  • Developing spreadsheets
  • Writing correspondence
  • Conducting research
  • Distributing messages by phone, e-mail and post

Printers, copiers, telephone systems, PCs and Macs, Microsoft and Adobe applications, and audiovisual equipment are tools you will learn to master as an office professional. Your competence, grace under pressure, problem-solving skills and congenial spirit are the most valuable resources any office can have.

Job possibilities

Below are just a few of the careers that can start with taking Office Systems courses at Inver Hills.

Additional resources

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Why Inver Hills?

Completing your Office Systems course obligations at Inver Hills is smart on several key levels:

  1. You will receive an outstanding education with one-on-one interactions with office systems faculty
  2. You will develop the strong foundation you need to launch a career an office setting
  3. You will save money and continue your academic and professional careers with less student debt *

* On a national scale, student loan debt has mushroomed to $1.2 trillion, which is greater than credit card debt and auto loan debt combined. In Minnesota, the average debt for four-year grads tops $30,000; 70 percent carry a student debt load.

Tuition and fees for one year at Inver Hills costs a little less than $5,300. Compare that to $15,000 to $20,000 at a for-profit college, or $40,000 to $50,000 at a private college or university. You can complete your first two years at Inver getting a topflight education firsthand from Ph.D. instructors and then transfer to a four-year as a junior all while saving thousands of dollars. It's a no-brainer.

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