Office Technology Faculty and Staff

Cathy Carruthers - Coordinator/Professor
Lori Kuithe - Associate Professor
Tammy Boswell - Assistant Professor
Patty Kuebrich - Division Assistant
Ron Dublo - Learning Assistance Specialist

Visit the Business Division webpage for contact info.

Program Overview

The Office Technology program incorporates the necessary technical, people, communication, and workplace skills desired in today's offices. You'll work with the same type of equipment and software currently found in most high-tech offices and develop the techniques that help you build a successful career.

Office workers are addressed by different titles.  An administrative assistant may also be called a secretary, office support person, or office professional.  The Office Technology program is designed for students who wish to prepare for positions as professional office workers. Students may elect to specialize for positions in legal or medical offices.  But whatever your title may be, L&C's program will ensure that you can wear many hats and have the technical skills to succeed.

Nature of Work: Office professionals perform a variety of clerical duties and assume some administrative duties to keep an office running efficiently. Duties may include: keyboarding, formatting and composing documents; creating and maintaining spreadsheets, databases, and presentations; handling oral, written, and electronic communications; scheduling appointments; organizing and maintaining computer and paper files; screening and making telephone calls; welcoming visitors; making travel arrangements; planning meetings; and transcribing dictation; as well as maintaining a cooperative work environment.

Skills and Abilities: In addition to a solid background in office technology skills, employers look for a good command of the English language, good interpersonal skills,  good organizational ability, and the ability to move often from one task to another. Students who enroll in the program should possess the manual dexterity and physical abilities to perform the necessary office duties.

Keyboarding/Formatting Proficiency Information (OTEC 120): Students wanting to take a proficiency test for OTEC 120 may do so by contacting the Office Technology Program Coordinator at ccarruth@lc.edu or 618.468.4612.

All Office Technology Degree and Certificate Program Prerequisites: 
Qualify for ENGL 125 and READ 125 by appropriate L&C placement test score.

Graduation Requirements:  To be eligible for graduation with an Associate in Applied Science degree, Certificate of Proficiency, or Certificate of Completion in any Office Technology program, a student must:

Earn a grade of "C" or better in all Office Technology courses, defined as courses with an OTEC prefix, and

Satisfy the requirements for an Associate in Applied Science degree, Certificate of Proficiency, or Certificate of Completion as outlined in this catalog.

OTEC classes taken longer than eight years prior to graduation must be retaken or a proficiency test passed to insure that the student has retained his/her knowledge from the class.

30 and Out A.A.S. Degree Program Option:  Anyone who has already earned an associate or bachelor degree from an accredited college or university may earn an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Office Technology by completing 30 semester hours of approved courses. Students interested in this program option must contact the program coordinator to receive written approval detailing the specific courses required for this degree option. Students must meet all institutional requirements for the Associate in Applied Science Degree.

The Office Technology Department offers A.A.S. degree programs in:

• Office Assistant - Administrative (67 credit hours)
• Office Assistant - Legal (70 credit hours)
• Office Assistant - Medical (70 credit hours)

Certificate of Proficiency programs are available in:

• Office Specialist - Administrative (37 credit hours)
• Office Specialist - Legal (43 credit hours)
• Office Specialist - Medical (43 credit hours)

Certificate of Completion programs are available in:

• Office Clerk (22)
• Medical Insurance and Billing (12 credit hours)
• Medical Transcription (18 credit hours)
• Microsoft Office Applications - Core (5 credit hours)
• Microsoft Office Applications - Expert (5 credit hours)
• Basic Computer User Skills (4 credit hours)
• Computer User Skills (7 credit hours)

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