The purpose of the ODSA is to support efforts to address the tech talent shortage in the Midwest experienced by government, non-profits, startup companies, small to medium-sized businesses, and major corporations. The ODSA accomplishes this by providing job-specific training in data science led by practicing professionals, so students can gain the skills they need to secure employment and companies can fill their staffing and organizational needs.  

Maximum student-to-teacher ratios for each ODSA course is 15:1

2.1     Owners

The Omaha Data Science Academy is a division of Contemporary Analysis, LLC.

2.2     2024 Advisory Board of Directors/Officers:

• Carrie Rosenberry, Chair –Contemporary Analysis Representative
• James Card, Vice President — Paradigm Data Scientist 
• Preston Badeer, Data Science Representative — BuilderTrend Data Scientist
• Laura Paulson, Alumni Representative — US Cellular
• Donna Dostal, Donor Representative — Pottawattamie Co. Community Foundation
• Misty Mealey, Scholarship Fund Representative — Sr. Grant Writer
• Krystal Rider, At-Large Member — Director at DoSpace

2.3     2024 Officers and Instructors:

• Nate Watson — Dean
  • 10+ years Operational Leadership
• Ida Angelma — Instructor: Python, SQL, Data Engineering
  
  • 4 years in Data Science, Front-/Back-End Development
• Tom Flaherty — Instructor: Python, Data Engineering, AI and ML
  
  • 8 years in Data Engineering
• Sam McQuistan — Instructor: SQL, Data Engineering
  
  • 10 years in Data Science and Engineering
• Charley Burtwistle — Instructor: Data Visualization with Tableau, Power BI
  
  • 7 years in Data Visualization

3.0    Observed Holidays and Weather

The ODSA observes all federal holidays. Classes will not take place on:

• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Presidents Day
• Memorial Day
• Juneteenth
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Columbus Day
• Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving (Wednesday and Thursday)
• Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
• New Year’s Eve

Additionally, in the event of inclement weather, the ODSA will make a decision by noon on that day about class attendance based on weather forecasted and predicted road conditions. Class will be notified by email and/or phone (when available). The class may be moved online or canceled depending on weather conditions. Any canceled class will be made up during the period between modules or at a different date based on a class vote.

4.1    Facility Address

ODSA courses will be held at 2112 N. 30th Street, Omaha NE 68111 (in the Connect Space, next to Hardy Coffee, unless otherwise specified). 

4.2    Mailing Address

The Omaha Data Science Academy can be contacted by mail at: 505 Cornhusker Road, Suite 105-392, Bellevue, NE 68005.

5.1    Number of Student Requirements

Individual skill modules will only be offered when 3 or more students have signed up for the class.

5.2   Class Materials

Faculty will provide any handouts and lab materials (excluding computer equipment).

5.3    Equipment Requirements

Operating System Requirements:

• Microsoft® Windows 10 OR Mac OS X v10.11 (El Capitan) or later
• Chromebook (for Intro or Foundations courses only) with minimum 4GB of RAM & 16BG SSD
• Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support
• 4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended)
• 32 GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during necessary program installation (cannot install on a volume that uses a case-sensitive file system or on removable flash storage devices)

*The ODSA can include a laptop for an additional fee.

Students are encouraged to visit the ODSA facility prior to enrollment. However, if this is not an option, students are given the opportunity to withdraw without penalty within three days following either the regularly scheduled orientation procedures or following a tour of the school facilities and inspection of equipment.

To begin the enrollment process, participants must apply at: www.canlearnsmart.com/enrollment-application

Once an application is received, a member of the ODSA team will review the request and contact the applicant to discuss the program and answer any questions.

NOTE: No applicants will be allowed to join the course after the second day of any course.

Applicants are expected to be technologically savvy. This means they generally know how to use a computer, navigate the internet, download, install, and use programs, understand how to search for (Google, et al.) and apply how-to solutions from YouTube (or equivalent).

Applicants who meet the criteria will be contacted by Nate Watson, Director of the ODSA, to complete an enrollment agreement and arrange for course payment. Training and Reemployment resources and services are available for those that qualify. (See Section 7.0).

For Payment options, see Section 17.0.

A number of services and resources are available for reemployment/career transition seekers at both the state and local levels.

To see if you qualify, go to:

• https://hws-ne.org/resources/
• https://dol.nebraska.gov/ReemploymentServices

While placement is not guaranteed, the ODSA does commit to connecting students with employers and providing job placement services to the best of our abilities. This includes but is not limited to potential direct placement, connection to known associates and data science teams, invitations to various career fairs, and more. Students also can receive feedback on their resume and LinkedIn profile and be able to practice with the ODSA staff in mock interviews.

Regular and punctual attendance is an integral part of the learning process. ODSA students are expected to attend scheduled courses in which they are enrolled. If a student fails to notify the course instructor of an absence, the student’s presence will be recorded as a no-show for the session. All refunds are based on the schedule detailed in Section 17.3 (Payment and Refund Policy) of the Course Catalog.

If a student falls below a 60% attendance, he or she will be dropped from the class with no refund given.

9.1 Absence Policy
Given the complexity of the material covered in the ODSA’s courses, absences without a serious reason are highly discouraged. For students who are frequently absent, the ODSA instructors and administrators will determine the course of action, which will include a warning and may lead to termination of a student’s participation in a course.

Exceptions to this policy will be considered for absence(s) that the program faculty deems justified by illness or unavoidable emergency. In the event of a prolonged illness, the student should notify program faculty as soon as possible.

Since active participation in the academic portion of this program is mandatory, being removed from any course/workshop due to excessive absences is grounds for expulsion from the entire program without refund or recourse.

Non-attendance at required site visits, excursions, or other non-classroom activities is considered to be an absence.

9.2    Tardiness policy

Late arrivals to classes are disruptive to other students and faculty. Students who arrive to class more than 10 minutes after the class starts will receive an unexcused absence for that class period, subject to review by the instructor. Timeliness also applies to onsite visits and excursions. Site visits and excursions will depart as scheduled, with exceptions made for conditions beyond ODSA’s control (e.g., inclement weather).

Students who successfully complete all of the technical learning (course/workshop tasks assigned by the instructor), demonstrate an understanding of course learning outcomes, and meet the minimum attendance requirements will receive a certificate of completion for the course.

Progress

Instructors will provide weekly feedback to students about their proficiency in grasping the concepts of the course, with struggling students will be given additional assistance and opportunities to succeed. There will be some time available for one-on-one instruction should the need arise. 

Grading

Data Scientists traditionally approach problems very differently than most other professions. They fully expect they will not have all the knowledge they need to solve the problem at hand and will need to seek additional wisdom to provide solutions. As such, the ODSA values the knowledge of knowing where to go when one runs out of knowledge as much or more as traditional “what to do” knowledge. 

This has led the OSDA to adopt a slightly different way of grading. Instead of grades, tests are pass/fail. Passing is a cumulative grade higher than 70%. In addition, students are required to attend 75% of classes as well as conduct themselves according to Section 12.

Tests are designed to ensure that students who earn OSDA certificates have a reasonable comprehension of the material they are asked to solve, while knowing where and how to find additional knowledge when what they possess is not sufficient. 

Any student who fails will be encouraged to return and retake the class. There is no charge for classes taken a second time (minus the $150 registration fee).

System of Making Progress Reports to Students

Since some ODSA training includes working with real businesses on real projects, students are expected to be respectful, professional, cooperative, and collaborative for the duration of the session.

Students who do not exhibit qualities expected of professionals in this situation will receive a verbal and written warning for the first incident. Any subsequent incidents may result in termination of course/workshop enrollment. No refund requests will be approved from students who are terminated from an ODSA course due to misconduct.

Since some ODSA training includes working with real businesses on real projects, students are expected to be respectful, professional, cooperative, and collaborative for the duration of the session.

Students who do not exhibit qualities expected of professionals in this situation will receive a verbal and written warning for the first incident. Any subsequent incidents may result in termination of course/workshop enrollment. No refund requests will be approved from students who are terminated from an ODSA course due to misconduct.

Students who have been expelled or voluntarily dropped from ODSA for any reason and wish to return must email Nate Watson, Director of the ODSA, at: nate@canworksmart.com. Applications are due no less than 30 days but no more than 6 months prior to the beginning of the session in which re-enrollment is desired.

The Director will evaluate requests for readmission on the basis of the student’s written statement which must list:

• Compelling reasons as to why they wish to return to ODSA
• How and why performance will improve if readmitted
• Requested readmission session

Once a decision has been made regarding the application, the student will be notified via email. Registration instructions will be sent when that information becomes available. The Director reserves the right to revoke any offer of readmission. The Director will review the progress of all students returning to the ODSA following expulsion. Continuation of enrollment is contingent upon satisfactory progress during the session the student is readmitted.

Because of the speed and intensity of the courses, assignments outside of class are just as important as the ones inside of class. Students who fail to complete the assignments for that week will be notified via email that they are missing critical assignments. If missing assignments are not completed during a reasonable amount of time, the teacher does have the right to place the student on probation. Students on probation will not be allowed to pass their current course and will not be allowed to continue on to additional courses. The student can be removed from probation by completing the incomplete assignments at which time they will receive an email indicating they have successfully been removed from probation.

Students may request a copy of their transcript by notifying the ODSA in writing at: nate@canworksmart.com. The student will receive the transcript via email at no cost. An academic transcript will be kept for all students regardless of completion.

15.1     Academic Transcript

The academic transcript shall show:

• Name and address of the student
• Student’s identification number used by the school
• Date of entry and date of exit
• Name of the certificates/ individual skill modules pursued
• Attendance
• Certificates earned
• Grades earned
• If the student graduated, withdrew, or was terminated.

15.2     Financial Transcript

The financial records, as dictated by the state of Nebraska, shall show:

• Student’s name and address
• Student’s identification number
• Program of study pursued
• All expenses incurred
• All payments made

The ODSA shall maintain permanent records suitable for academic and financial records for a length of no less than fifty (50) calendar years and financial records for five (5) years after the student has departed from the school.

All Certificates will have at least a signature of the ODSA director and the school seal.

15.3     Access

The ODSA shall not release, transfer, disclose, or otherwise disseminate students’ records or information contained therein, unless upon the student’s written request, except to persons authorized or required to have such information by state or federal law or regulation, or pursuant to a court order.

This rule applies to all ODSA employees in their accessing and handling of student records, data or information in any form (paper, digital text, image, audio, video, microfilm, etc.) during the course of conducting ODSA business (administrative, financial, or teaching).

Note: Students shall have the right to review their student records, including grades, attendance, and financial records.

Credit for previous education, training, or experience
A student can petition the ODSA to take into consideration previous education, training, and/or experience for the purpose of not taking a prerequisite course. The petition may be emailed to the Director of the ODSA at: nate@canworksmart.com. Permission will be granted in writing.

17.1     Individual Pay

Any balance due after discounts or any other financial assistance is applied must be paid 50% prior to the start of the course, with the remaining 50% due within 30 days of the end of the course. No student may start another course with a balance due unless arrangements are made with the ODSA prior to the start of the next course. Monthly payments are accepted through special arrangements only and only prior to starting a course.

17.2     Company Pay

In the event a place of employment is covering tuition expenses, balances will be invoiced prior to the start of class. Invoiced amounts are due within 30 days of invoice unless otherwise agreed upon.

All refund requests are subject to the policy outlined in Section 17.3 (Refund Policy) of the course catalog.

Upon satisfactory completion of all academic and skill requirements and when all financial obligations to the school have been met, the school will award a Certificate of Completion. The student and school understand that this Agreement may not be amended except in writing and signed by both parties.

17.3     Refund Policy

17.3.1 Cancellation

While canceling requests are accepted at any time during a course or workshop, refund eligibility will be based on the cancellation date.

1. 1. If the cancellation date is within seventy-two (72) hours of enrollment, all monies paid shall be refunded.
   2. If the cancellation date occurs after seventy-two (72) hours of enrollment, but before resident classes begin, or distance education materials are delivered, a refund shall be made of all tuition paid except a registration fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00).

The cancelation date is determined by the date the student notifies the ODSA in writing at the following email address: nate@canworksmart.com.

The cancelation and refund request email message must include the student’s name, course to cancel, and reason for cancellation.

The cancelation process will not begin until a formal written request is received using the method described above. A student who fails to attend a course is not automatically canceled. The student is required to contact the ODSA at nate@canworksmart.com to begin the cancellation process. No shows (class absence without notice) do not count toward the cancellation date (see Attendance Policy for additional information).

Additionally, students who are terminated from ODSA courses for misconduct will not be eligible for refunds.

Note:

1. 1. 1. A full refund is due students whose contracted educational services are denied as a result of intentional deception, or misrepresentation of facts, or the use of advertising which is known to be false, inaccurate, or misleading.
      2. A full refund is due to an individual whose admission is denied by the school.
      3. If cancellation occurs after classes have begun, books and supplies that have been issued become the property of students and any refunds on them shall be at the discretion of the school.

17.3.2 Partial Refunds

The procedures for partial refund (after class has begun) is in accordance with the following schedule:

• • • Certificates that have 2 sessions: 25% after first session
    • Certificates that have 3 sessions: 50% after the first session, no refund after second session
    • Certificates that have 4 sessions: 50% after the first session, 25% after the second session, no refund after third session
    • Certificates that have 5 or more sessions: 75% after first session, 50% after second session, 25% after the third session, no refund after fourth session

*Certificates that are canceled before completion but after the first course will have the discount removed for enrolling in a certificate and refunded as if courses were taken independently.

**All refund amounts will be less the course enrollment fee of $150.00 unless meeting the requirement of full refund as stated above.

Procedure for addressing student complaints
The student may contact the ODSA’s Director regarding any concerns or complaints. Contact information is available at www.canlearnsmart.com. Complaints which cannot be resolved by direct negotiation with the school may be filed with the Program Director of Private Postsecondary Career Schools at the Nebraska Department of Education’s Program Director. Contact information is available at:  https://www.education.ne.gov/ppcs/contact-us