by Linda Moore
Air Force Materiel Command Manpower, Personnel and Services
5/1/2012 - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) -- Defense Acquisition University registration will open around May 17, 2012, and students should apply as soon as possible since classes fill quickly. Members' applications will be processed by priority, supervisor approval date and class start date, with Priority 1 students taking precedence.
Acquisition workforce members should regularly monitor the ACQ Now website for the most current information regarding DAU registration and course updates. Most resident classes only hold 30 students, and students should apply upon immediate release of the schedule. It's important for applicants to note that a hundred or more other students may be applying for the same class -- especially if it is the first one on the schedule.
For commonly used courses such as ACQ 201B, Intermediate Systems Acquisition Part B, students should apply for more than one offering. Even though ACQ Now may show availability, the ACQ Now site is refreshed every 24 hours. With classes filling up and forming waitlists, students will not be able to see updates until the following day.
Students are advised to apply early and for multiple offerings. APDP certification delinquencies are tracked and reported to the Air Force Materiel Command vice commander semi-annually.
Supervisors of employees on acquisition coded positions are responsible for ensuring required training is completed during the given grace period. Annual feedback sessions are an opportunity for supervisors to discuss and develop employees' training plans to include required acquisition training. This is an important step to ensure the member is ready to register and to get his or her desired schedule for required courses as soon as registration opens.
In fiscal 2012, SAF/AQH-AFATO processed nearly 1,000 applications on the first day of registration beginning at 4 a.m. Central Standard Time. The number of students in the Defense Department taking DAU training is more than 100,000. These courses are open to students across the entire federal government, with all military service components -- Army, Navy, Air Force, DOD -- as well as other service components, federal agencies and organizations registering for DAU courses at the same time.
