SOS/ACSC information

[Champ Kind]

Yup. Posted today. Just search "PSDM"

Other note: If someone drops papers for a school other than Maxwell, how do they name someone else?

It's PSDM 13-111 for those of you searching. Edited November 14, 2013 by Champ Kind

[11F]

Other note: If someone drops papers for a school other than Maxwell, how do they name someone else?

There's an alternate list rack and stack. They use that to determine who goes where if someone declines school.

[SocialD]

There's an alternate list rack and stack. They use that to determine who goes where if someone declines school.

It's down in the ladies room...

[scudrunner12]

Any new RUMINT on SOS going back to 5 weeks long in the Spring?

[ak47]

Yes. Currently at Shoe Flag and being told that they're working on figuring out the final details of implementation. Either we'll be the last 8 week class or the next one will, so the answer's "how soon," not "if."

[Champ Kind]

they're working on figuring out the final details of implementation.

Jesus Tapdancing Christ. How about someone just says, "Hey how were we doing SOS three years ago? Ok, blow the dust off and let's do that again."

The USAF: making shit more difficult than it needs to be since 1947.

[Karl Hungus]

The USAF: making shit more difficult than it needs to be since 1947.

Pretty much sums everything up.

[brabus]

Yes. Currently at Shoe Flag and being told that they're working on figuring out the final details of implementation. Either we'll be the last 8 week class or the next one will, so the answer's "how soon," not "if.

Heard the exact same thing...over a year ago. It'll probably happen, but believe it when you see it.

Edited November 17, 2013 by brabus

[Flare]

When you finish up one class in ACSC, how do you get Blackboard to let you start the next one? I "enrolled" in the next one via the AUSIS page, but it shows stuck on the previous class still.

In an unrelated story, ACSC is a waste of time.

[TarHeelPilot]

It takes 6-9 hours, sometimes a full day for Blackboard to accept the enrollment in AUSIS.

[JS]

When you finish up one class in ACSC, how do you get Blackboard to let you start the next one? I "enrolled" in the next one via the AUSIS page, but it shows stuck on the previous class still.

In an unrelated story, ACSC is a waste of time.

Before you can register for the next course, the old class has to be "graded," even though it was all online and automated. Do you think they are working over the Thanksgiving weekend at Air University?

Look for that class to be "graded" sometime Monday afternoon or later. Then you can register in AUSIS for the next class. You will get emails when they grade the course and code it as "passed," thus allowing you to register for the next one.

Some of us posted a little about the DL 6.0 class in the ASCS OLMP thread. Those posts probably should have been in this thread instead. The enrollment issue was addressed there.

Edited November 30, 2013 by JS

[HossHarris]

Do you think they are working over the Thanksgiving weekend at Air University?

Do you think any of the instructors are actually at maxwell? That project got contracted out rather quickly. Next time you chat with an instructor, ask them where they are, what else they do for a living, and how the instructor side of the house works. If you find one that will show you behind the curtain it's fairly interesting .... And maybe a decent side job if you can get it.

[JS]

Sounds interesting. Maybe I can score a gig like that later on.

I figured the instructors were all over, but I assumed the AUSIS people who generate the mouse clicks that grade your automated online course were not instructors, but admin people at Maxwell.

[scudrunner12]

Will SOS 14C be a 5-week course? Any new words? ------------------------------------- ...don't RIF me, bra

Edited January 4, 2014 by scudrunner12

[HU&W]

No. They've slid the implementation at least one class to the right. 14C = 8 weeks.

https://www.au.af.mil/au/soc/course_dates.asp (note the lack of astericks after 14C)

*edited for double post

Edited January 4, 2014 by HU&W

[slc]

Is ACSC doable on a 4 mo deployment? Or are you busting balls to get it done in that timeframe?

[BuddhaSixFour]

Not likely. You could do the work in four months, but you'll have delays getting signed up for each applied course. It's about two weeks after you finish a CBT course before you can start the applied. My bet is you could get about 2/3s done with about two-months to go once you got home.

[hispeed7721]

Will SOS 14C be a 5-week course? Any new words? ------------------------------------- ...don't RIF me, bra

Just got words from the 2-star here at AU that sometime in late FY14, SOS will migrate to a 5 week course

[Chida]

As for ACSC timeline, here's what I'm looking at:

- The courses are done sequentially

- Applied courses are online seminars and have additional work (papers)

- Other courses consist of reading some excerpts and take a short multi-choice online test.

- The online tests are pass/fail, but if you fail you can re-take the test unlimited times

- You can't sign up for the following course until you finish the preceding course.

- After you finish a course it takes 12-24 hours for it to be graded, allowing you to sign up for the next course. After you sign up for the next course it takes 12-24 hours before you can actually start that course. This is for online courses. Seminar courses have a different set of rules.

The courses are:

1. Orientation

2. Leadership and Command

3. Applied Leadership and Command

4. National Security

5. Applied National Security

6. Warfare Studies

7. Airpower Studies

8. Applied Warfare

9. Joint Forces

10. Joint Planning

11. Joint Air Ops

12. Applied Joint Warfare

So, courses 3, 5, 8, and 12 are applied courses meaning they are the online seminar format. These have limited attendance opportunities throughout the year and a sign-up deadline approx. 2 weeks before course start. These are the ones that slow down the entire process, I think by design. For example, my next course is #3, the sign-up deadline is 17 Feb and start date is 3 Mar. So it will have been 1 month since I finished the last online course before I can progress again.

Some applied courses end and then the next one you need to take has a registration deadline a couple days later. Problem is you might have to do 2 online courses and a paper in those 2 days. Pair that up with the inherent delays in getting a course graded and signing up for the next course and it seems unlikely that ACSC can be done in less than 6 months. If you don't make the registration deadline you have to wait a month in some cases for the next opportunity to start that applied course.

[akele]

Has anyone taken the OLMP-Leadership degree (the captains one) and then take this new ACSC distance learning course??? Just wondering if it is different or pretty redundant...

[Champ Kind]

Finished ACSC in about 4.5 months. It can be done, although I don't see how it can be done any faster than that considering you have to wait in between applied courses.

[Jaded]

Just got words from the 2-star here at AU that sometime in late FY14, SOS will migrate to a 5 week course

It only took what, two years to make this ridiculously simple change happen?

We are an immovable, bloated, disgrace of an organization.

[pcola]

As for ACSC timeline, here's what I'm looking at:

- The courses are done sequentially

- Applied courses are online seminars and have additional work (papers)

- Other courses consist of reading some excerpts and take a short multi-choice online test.

- The online tests are pass/fail, but if you fail you can re-take the test unlimited times

- You can't sign up for the following course until you finish the preceding course.

- After you finish a course it takes 12-24 hours for it to be graded, allowing you to sign up for the next course. After you sign up for the next course it takes 12-24 hours before you can actually start that course. This is for online courses. Seminar courses have a different set of rules.

The courses are:

1. Orientation

2. Leadership and Command

3. Applied Leadership and Command

4. National Security

5. Applied National Security

6. Warfare Studies

7. Airpower Studies

8. Applied Warfare

9. Joint Forces

10. Joint Planning

11. Joint Air Ops

12. Applied Joint Warfare

So, courses 3, 5, 8, and 12 are applied courses meaning they are the online seminar format. These have limited attendance opportunities throughout the year and a sign-up deadline approx. 2 weeks before course start. These are the ones that slow down the entire process, I think by design. For example, my next course is #3, the sign-up deadline is 17 Feb and start date is 3 Mar. So it will have been 1 month since I finished the last online course before I can progress again.

Some applied courses end and then the next one you need to take has a registration deadline a couple days later. Problem is you might have to do 2 online courses and a paper in those 2 days. Pair that up with the inherent delays in getting a course graded and signing up for the next course and it seems unlikely that ACSC can be done in less than 6 months. If you don't make the registration deadline you have to wait a month in some cases for the next opportunity to start that applied course.

Good info. You can speed this up slightly by signing up for and completing the next self paced course in the sequence while waiting on your applied course to start. For instance, you finished Leadership and Command and signed up for Applied L&C. While waiting the two weeks for the class to start, you can sign up and complete National Security. I found out about it and ops checked it by enrolling in both, but then I got lazy and never worked on the Natl Security one. I guess someone more motivated than I could speed up the process that way.

[Chida]

Cool. I didn't know that. So with that, looks like ACSC will take me 27 Jan - 20 Jun, so <5 months.

[BONE WSO]

I started right after Thanksgiving and finished all 8 self-paced courses by Christmas. I have done the applied classes all back-to-back and will finish the last one on March 23. So it will be a little less than 4 months. Like others have said, I don't think it is possible to do it in less time because of the delays between applied classes. The key is that when you finish a self-paced class, and your next class is applied, go in and sign up for the applied class then wait a day or so til the registration goes through and then immediately start your next self-paced class.