CENTRALIZING SUCCESS
S
ince the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 25 to open its new facili- ties, the U.S. Army Acquisition Center of Excellence (AACoE)
has established a program that has seen increased enrollment, improved class- room performance, and new networking opportunities for students preparing to move into the next phase of their acquisi- tion careers.
AACoE is the training, education, and career development school for Army acquisition officers, noncommissioned officers, and Army civilians. It central- izes institutional education and career development courses for the acquisition, logistics, and technology workforce.
“The primary mission, of course, is to provide Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act certification education, and we’re doing that. But more impor- tantly, we have built the continuity necessary to be an establishment that peo- ple can come to rely on, not just a place to get their initial training,” said AACoE Deputy Director Kevin Zurmuehlen.
“This is now a place that people call and ask questions. They call here for information,” said Shirley Hornaday, AACoE Director.
CLOSE PARTNERSHIP The center’s new facilities are at Madi- son Hall at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), where it has forged a mutually beneficial partnership that has led to cost savings, improved education, and stronger community ties. UAH also has identified additional classroom space to prepare for growth in the contracting career field starting in FY13.
“UAH has contributed a major share of the costs of equipping the classrooms and maintaining them for us, which is a major bonus. If our lights go out or we
118 Army AL&T Magazine IN THE CLASSROOM
Instructor Jeff Hardin (standing) works with AACoE students at the new facility on the campus of the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
are having sound problems, they come over and fix it. When there are issues, they respond immediately. It’s been a really good partnership,” Hornaday said.
As part of its lease with AACoE, UAH pro- vides a variety of support, such as renovation, equipping classrooms, and maintenance of infrastructure, such as phone lines and computer systems. AACoE’s relatively low-cost lease with UAH has led AACoE to save on average about $20 per stu- dent per day. As a result, AACoE is well on the way to reaching its goal of saving $1 million annually. Beyond the savings, however, a positive ripple effect for stu- dents is starting to take shape.
“Since the move to the new facilities, we have noticed a trend of increased academic class averages. We attribute this increase in demonstrated student performance to the improved classroom environment the facilities provide. We now have staff
and student spaces that we do not have to share with other activities, which has also allowed an increased camaraderie among the students,” Zurmuehlen said.
ACCESS TO LEADERSHIP The strong support in running the class- rooms is not the only benefit of the facilities’ location. AACoE has been able to leverage senior-level expertise as several local general officers, Senior Executive Service officials, and industry executives strongly support the program. Students have been able to meet with these execu- tives and learn about business development. AACoE has also incorporated a small busi- ness program to help students prepare for the major decisions that have to be made regarding contracting and incorporating small businesses.
“I think what was missing prior to the establishment of the Center of Excel- lence was a process-based, permanent
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