BUS 5211 - Procurement and Contract Management

Term: Fall Term 2025

Meeting Time:  Tuesday, 5:00 to 8:00 pm

Class Location: 

Face-to-Face Sessions will be at 

    Florida Tech-Orlando, Baldwin Park
    2420 Lakemont Ave
    Suite 190 - Room TBD
     Orlando, FL 32814

Virtual class via a combination of:

• • • CANVAS course room,
    • Zoom conferences will be posted to lessons, which will be found in the CANVAS course room in the Panopto tab
    • Zoom video conferences

 Instructor: Dr. Marilou Overla

Phone: 321-795-9428

Email: moverla@fit.edu

** The instructor can be reached via the CANVAS course room mail. Individual teleconferences or Zoom video conferences can and will be scheduled as needed to assist learners

Course Description: In-depth overview of the federal acquisition process and introduction of basic concepts, policies, and procedures, incidental to government contracts through the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and supplemental directives.

Course Prerequisites: None

Course Objectives: The course introduces and provides insight into the solicitation, management, and administration of federal government contracts. Completing this course, you will be expected to:

• Understand the essential laws, regulations, policies, and procedures regarding soliciting, managing, and administering government contracts.
• Comprehend keywords and terms in federal contracting.
• Understand ethical business practices and the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest.
• Comprehend the types of contracts and forms of competition.
• Understand the importance and requirements of socioeconomic programs in federal contracting, as well as particular categories. of contracts

Course Materials:

Required Text: The required text is the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and there are several alternative copies of it, including:

Tomanelli, S. N. (2025). Federal Acquisition Regulation: Desk Reference. New York, NY: Thomas Reuters. ISBN: 979-8-350-29663-1

OR

Online at either: htttp://farsite.hill.af.mil or

https://www.acquisition.gov/browsefar or

https://www.gsa.gov/policy-regulations/regulations/federal-acquisition-regulation-far or

https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/far.html

Recommended Texts & Other Readings:

American Psychological Association. (2022). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Online sources include:

   APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition) - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University or   APA Style

The FAR Supplemental Regulations may be located online at one or more of the websites provided above.

Course Introduction and Faculty Expectations:

The course introduces and provides insight into the procurement and contract management laws, regulations, policies, and procedures regarding the solicitation, management, and administration of government contracts. It familiarizes you with a large amount of information in one term; however, an in-depth analysis of many of the topics covered undoubtedly could require an entire course of its own. You have a required reading for each lesson. By completing this course, you will be expected to:

• Understand the essential laws, regulations, policies, and procedures regarding soliciting, managing, and administering government contracts.
• Comprehend keywords and terms in federal contracting
• Understand ethical business practices and the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest.
• Comprehend the types of contracts and forms of competition.
• Understand the importance and requirements of socioeconomic programs in federal contracting and special categories of contracts.

This course is a combination of face-to-face and online via Zoom. You will be expected to submit your written assignment online in CANVAS. To ensure that you gain a basic understanding of cost principles, effectiveness, and cost controls, it is imperative that learners:

• • Read and be familiar with the course syllabus and expectations.
  • Read the material before participating in the discussions and keep up with the assignments.
  • Ask for clarification about material or course expectations.
  • Participate in all discussions within the course room.
  • Follow the instructions for all assignments, quizzes, and examinations.
  • Respect the diverse population and perspectives by refraining from inappropriate comments in discussions or personal interactions.
  • Contact your instructor immediately if, for any reason, you cannot participate every week.
  • Comply with all academic honesty policies.

Grading:

Grades will be administered per the College of Business and University policies and practices.  Letter grades will be earned based on the total number of points attained, according to the following schedule:

A = 90% or more

B = 80% - 89.9%

C = 70% - 79.9%

D = 60% - 69.9%

F = 59.9% - or less

Graded Course Activities:

Course Activities: 

Late Work Policy

Be sure to pay close attention to deadlines. There will be no make-up assignments, and late work will not be accepted without a serious and compelling reason and instructor approval. Late assignments will have 2 points deducted per day they are late, if they are accepted.

Written Assignment Guidelines: 

•  All written assignments will be submitted via CANVAS in .doc or .docx format.
• All written assignments must be submitted in the American Psychological Association Publication Manual (APA) format and checked via Turnitin.com for an Originality Report. Further clarifications will be discussed in class.
• Provide the course name, term, date, your name, and the assignment description on a cover page.
• If you include a direct quote or replicate data from any source, use quotation marks and cite the reference following APA guidelines.
• Poor spelling and grammar will be penalized

Written reports will be graded according to the scoring guidelines, and assignments not submitted on time are subject to penalty. The thoroughness of analyses (appropriate use of applicable tools, concepts, and techniques) and writing clarity (focus, style, cohesion, and writing mechanics) are essential in all course activities. Please note that spelling and grammar are graded in this course, as they can impact the interpretation of a contract and result in contract disputes.

Weekly Schedule    

Topic Outline/Schedule

Important Note: Refer to the course calendar for specific meeting dates and times. Activity and assignment details will be explained in detail within each week's corresponding learning module. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact your instructor.

University Policies

University policies are provided in the current course catalog. They are also available on the university website. The university’s published policies govern this class. The following policies are of interest:

Academic Integrity/Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty Policy

Honesty and integrity are integral components of the academic process.  Students are expected to always be honest and ethical in pursuing academic goals, following Florida Tech’s policy on Academic Honesty in the Student Handbook.  Any student violating the policy will receive an “F” for that assignment and/or an “F” in the course.

Drops and Withdrawals

Please be aware that, should you choose to drop or withdraw from this course, the date you notify the university of your decision will determine the amount of tuition refund you receive. Please refer to the university policies on drops to determine the deadlines for dropping a course with a full refund and withdrawing from a course with a partial refund.  Please consult the academic schedule for the exact date for your course and the deadline to drop a course with a grade of “W” http://www.fit.edu/registrar/calendar/. Refer to the university's website for the complete Drop / Withdrawal Policy.

Incomplete (I) Grade Policy:

An incomplete grade is only granted in unusual and documented circumstances.  Under no circumstances will an Incomplete be given if the student is failing the course at the time the Incomplete is requested.  A grade of Incomplete will not be given in instances where students were unable to complete the coursework due to personal circumstances. Refer to the link for details: http://www.fit.edu/registrar/records.php  

Disability Services

If you have registered as a student with a documented disability and are entitled to classroom or testing accommodations, please inform the instructor at the beginning of the course of the accommodations you will require in this class so that these can be provided. Refer to the link for details: http://www.fit.edu/asc/disabilities.php

Course Attendance and Absences:

Students are expected to attend all class sessions of the course.  In the case of unavoidable absence, the student must contact the instructor.  The student may be subject to an appropriate academic penalty for incomplete or unacceptable makeup work, or excessive or unexcused absences.

Course Contact Hours:

The faculty member is expected to hold each of the scheduled classes or make up any missed classes. The Academic Unit Head/ Site Director must approve any exception to this. Failure to meet the full complement of hours may be construed as a breach of contract and endanger the University’s accreditation.

General Information:

Computer Requirements: The following requirements are for a basic Distance Learning configuration. The necessary tools are a high-speed internet connection and a modern web browser. Individual courses like streaming video players (e.g., Flash) or other supplementary technologies may have different requirements. Contact your instructor for details if you feel this might be the case.

 Internet access: Students must have their Internet Service Provider, which is not supplied by an employer in the private or public sector, to take a Distance Learning course. Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis by the instructor before the beginning of the semester. You must have full, unrestricted access to the Internet and email. (Note: Businesses and government agencies often use firewalls to limit their employees' network access. This limited access frequently causes problems for students, which is why having a service provider is required.)

 Hardware: Any recently manufactured (4 years or less) computer will be enough to access Florida Tech's Learning Management System and perform assigned work. A monitor capable of displaying at least 1024 x 768 pixels is recommended.

 Internet browser: Canvas supports most modern browsers; Firefox, Chrome, and Safari seem to work the best. Other applications may work better depending on your browser, so if a feature you are using isn't working like you expect it to, it may help to try the same steps in a different browser. If you need assistance checking your browser's compatibility, contact General Technical Support, 321-674-7284 321-674-7284, techsupport@fit.edu.

 Mobile Apps: Canvas has an app for iOS and Android.

 E-mail: You must be able to access and be responsible for correspondence sent to your @my.fit.edu email address. By default, Canvas will send some notifications to this address. You can change where and how often you receive these notifications in your Canvas Notification Preferences.

 Sending attachments: You must be able to send and receive e-mail and e-mail attachments using Microsoft Word and Excel file formats. If you use one of the recommended browsers, it will automatically take care of setting the preferences that your computer will need for sending and receiving attachments. Note that you will also need an application suite that can read and write these file formats (such as MS Office, OpenOffice, or iWork) installed on your computer. Google Drive also supports these document types.

 Antivirus Software: Current antivirus software is required for all devices connecting to the Florida Tech network and is recommended for use in general. Free and discounted software is available to students.

 Library Resources and Services: Library resources and services are available to distance learners through the Library website. Consult the Distance Learning Library Services & Resources research guide for access and other information.

Appendix A: Scoring Guides

Project Scoring Guide

Due Date: See component due dates in the syllabus

Percentage of Course Grade: 30%

Overview

The course introduces and provides insight into the solicitation, management, and administration of federal government contracts. The individual project will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge of the material  

To complete this project, you will be expected to complete the following components:

Project Requirements

To complete the project, you will be expected to meet the following requirements:

• Select a topic related to this course, which I have reviewed and approved before you begin. Incomplete term papers, term papers from another course, or term papers written without my review and approval of the topic will not be accepted and shall automatically receive a grade of F. Examples of possible topics are:
  • Identify a conflict-of-interest violation or another ethical issue within government contracting within the last 10 years. Discuss the violation, the laws, and the regulations it violated. Finally, explain why it is essential for agencies and contracting officers to avoid such unethical practices.
  • Utilizing the https://sam.gov/opportunities website, select a government contract. Identify the contract type, SOW/PWS type, the funding type, and any associated socioeconomic problems. Also, any issues resulting from the kind of contract must be identified. Identify if you believe a different contract would have been better and why—a topic of your choice, when presented to and approved by the instructor.
• Topic Identification Paper: This paper will be 1-2 pages long and include the topic, reason for selection, and analysis of how it corresponds to the course objectives. In addition to the 1-2 pages, it will consist of a proposed outline and reference list of at least three
• Final Paper: The paper will be a minimum of 8 to 10 double-spaced pages, approximately 3,200 – 4,000 words, plus a cover page, table of contents, and references. It will incorporate at least six (6) scholarly references. An abstract is not to be included.
• Font and font size: Use a 12-point Times New Roman font.
• Margins: You will use the standard of 1” margins.
• Written communication: Written communication must be free of grammatical and spelling errors. Points will be deducted for poor grammar and spelling.
• APA formatting: Citations and references will follow APA (6^th edition) formatting. The source for any quotes or factual details must be explicitly cited per the APA manual.
  

Grading Rubric

Discussion Scoring Guide – Virtual Course Room

Due Date: Weekly

Percentage of Course Grade: 20%

Grading Rubric

Participation Guidelines

A significant post responding to questions listed in the weekly CANVAS discussions is required.  The initial discussion posts are due no later than 11:59 pm on TBD for the assigned lesson week to enable adequate response time by fellow learners.

All learners must respond to at least two of their peers' posts no later than 11:59 pm on TBD for the assigned lesson week.  Responses should be more than just your concurrence.  Responses are to provide greater insight by trying to identify anything additional that your classmate might have missed, how that information from the week would apply to your jobs or even experiences you have had with the topic in the past.

All times are based on the Eastern time zone. Late initial posts and/or late responses will be penalized.