Please Take Notice of the Following Information

Due to curriculum changes by DAU in its contracting courses, Webster University’s equivalency for DAU CON courses expires June 30, 2013. All students taking courses in Webster’s Government Contracting Certificate program MUST finish the 6 courses by the end of the S2 2013 term and apply the courses to DAWIA or FAC-C certification in contracting by September 30, 2013 in order for the Webster courses to be recognized. After that date only CON 100 and CON 216 will be recognized for certification purposes.

Webster University is working diligently with DAU to establish equivalencies with the current Level I and II DAU CON classes. There is no current timetable as to when that task will be completed, but it is our objective to complete it prior to June 30, 2013.

NOTE!!  Students who are taking their first contracting certificate course in S1 2013 need to know that there is no guarantee that the courses will be recognized for certification purposes.  If you are planning to use the certificate courses to meet DAWIA or FAC-C certification in contracting Webster strongly recommends that you drop your S1 class(es) and wait until new equivalencies are established before beginning this program.  Dropping class registration needs to be done no later than Friday, January 18th to obtain a full tuition refund.

Courses Involved: 

• PROC 5000  - Procurement and Acquisitions Management
• PROC 5830 – Pricing
• PROC 5840 – Negotiations
• PROC 5860 – Government Contracting
• PROC 5870 – Pricing and Contract Integration
• PROC 5890 - Government Procurement Law

Who should pay attention to this information?

Students who are employed in contracting or seeking employment in the federal government contracting career field should pay attention to this information.  This announcement does not apply to students who do not work in contracting and do not plan to seek employment in contracting with the federal government.

If this announcement affects me, what are my options?

Students having completed several certificate program courses should be on track to complete the courses by the S2 2013 term.  This information has been posted on the certificate program webpage for the last year and a half and for the last year has been included in the DAU End of Course Survey Invitation emailed to those completing certificate program courses.

Students who are just starting the program have a number of options available:

1. Wait until equivalency is established with the current DAU CON courses before taking your courses. Email the DAU coordinator to have your name added to the DAU Equivalency Notification List to receive any announcements about equivalency. Announcements will also be put on the certificate program webpage.

   
   If you are taking the Procurement and Acquisitions Management degree program in addition to the certificate program you should consider delaying the start of your degree.  Three of the certificate courses are required for the degree including PROC 5000 the requisite course.

   
2. Decide to pursue DAU CON classes through DAU or another equivalent provider.  Research this option carefully as all equivalent providers are in the same position as Webster with regard to establishing equivalency with the current DAU classes.  Be sure that any course your take is DAU-equivalent and has an ‘INDEFINITE’ end date for equivalency.  Equivalency status can be checked from http://icatalog.dau.mil/appg.aspx.  Most courses are listed under ‘Colleges and Universities’ or ‘Commercial Vendors’.
   
3. If your primary/original goal is to complete the degree program, take the Webster program but understand that that it is not guaranteed that courses that are also in the certificate program would be recognized for certification.  To be recognized for certification, all Webster courses required to meet the requirements for a DAU CON class MUST be taken within the dates of equivalency.  If any classes are taken outside of the equivalency dates it will void recognition for that CON class. Though equivalency dates for the current CON classes has not yet been established, it is our objective to complete it prior to June 30, 2013.
   
   Following this option you will still have the benefits of the educational experience and the training provided by the courses, but you may be limited as to how many courses can be used for certification.
   
   

FAQs

Why should I be concerned about the dates my government contracting certificate courses are taken?

The government contracting certificate program was designed for federal contract workers who want to use the courses to help meet requirements for certification in government contracting.  To be recognized the courses must be completed within the dates established by the equivalency review.  Webster University is in the process of getting the certificate program courses reviewed to establish equivalencies with the current Level I and II DAU CON courses.  The start date of this equivalency has not been established, so any student NEW to the certificate program who takes classes before the start date has been determined runs the risk that their courses may not be recognized for certification.  Webster strongly recommends that new students wait until equivalency dates have been determined so we can assure them that their classes will be recognized as meeting certain certification training requirements provided they are completed with a grade of B or better. 

I work for a company that has contracts with the federal government.  Should I delay starting the certificate program?

Not necessarily.  Businesses do not have a certification program that recognizes DAU or DAU-equivalent training.  If you do not plan on becoming a federal employee within the next several years there is no professional reason why you should delay taking certificate program classes.

What if I am not concerned with certification? Will these dates impact my ability to apply the courses toward Webster University Programs?

No. Equivalency dates are only important if certification is your objective. Equivalency dates do not impact your ability to apply Webster University courses toward the Webster University Graduate Certificate in Government Contracting, Master of Arts in Procurement and Acquisitions Management or any other Webster University degree for which these courses would be considered relevant electives.

I have already completed a course in the certificate program.  Should I delay taking additional courses?

Not necessarily.  Since you have already completed a course, recognition of your coursework for certification purposes will be based on the date you started your program.  If new equivalencies are not backdated to include all your courses then only the courses that fall within the new equivalency dates will be recognized for certification.   However, recognize that the more Webster courses you take outside of the equivalency dates the fewer CON courses will be recognized.  If you are also taking the Procurement degree you might consider completing classes and electives that are not in the contracting certificate program while waiting for equivalency to be established.

What happens if I start the program and later want to apply the certificate courses to certification requirements?

It is possible that your ability to apply the Webster courses to meet DAU CON course requirements will be significantly limited.  Only DAU equivalent courses that are taken after the start date for equivalency can be recognized for certification purposes.  The issue is that the start date for potential upcoming equivalencies has not been established. 

As an example, if you were to start your program now and the start date for equivalencies is March 2013 any certificate program courses you took before March 2013 may not be used for certification.  Additionally, because multiple PROC courses will be required to meet the requirements for any 1 DAU CON course, having even 1 PROC course outside of the equivalency window can mean that several DAU CON courses will not be recognized.  As an example, under the current (and expiring equivalency) CON 112 requires the completion of both PROC 5860 and PROC 5890.  If PROC 5860 is not taken within the equivalency time period you would not be recognized for CON 112 or any other DAU course that requires PROC 5860 in order to be recognized.

If one of my Webster certificate courses is not DAU-equivalent at the time I apply for certification, can I be still qualify for certification?

Yes, but any DAU CON course that is not recognized because your Webster course was not equivalent at the time you took it will need to be completed through another venue. 

When will Webster obtain the new equivalencies?

Webster will obtain the new equivalencies when the equivalency review process is complete. 

Who should follow up with an advisor regarding this announcement?


1. Anyone taking their FIRST certificate program course and who plans to use the course to meet certification requirements. 
2. Anyone who is completing the program for equivalency but will not finish and be in a position to file for Level II certification by September 2013.

How do I drop my class registration?

Class registration can be dropped by accessing Student Services through your Connections account  and going to the ‘Registration” section.   You can also email your advisor and request that the class be dropped.  Be sure to provide your student number and identify the course you want to drop.  Drops must be completed by Friday, January 18, 2013 to obtain a full tuition refund.

If you have any questions, please contact your Webster academic advisor or email the DAU coordinator for clarification.