Procedures for Class Notes as an Accommodation
(available in PDF format: Class Notes as an Accommodation)
In some cases, Student Disability Services (SDS) will determine that class notes are an effective and reasonable accommodation for students. Students who have been approved by SDS for class notes as an accommodation should first check to see if notes are being offered by TakeNote®. If they are, we will prepare the form you need to enroll and include it with your Faculty Notification Letters.
If TakeNote is not available, the student with a disability should attempt to find a student in the class who is willing to share his or her notes. However, if a volunteer cannot be found, the student may request assistance from the faculty member or contact SDS to facilitate hiring a note taker. Only if notes are not available from the professor, voluntarily from a classmate, or from a note taking service will the hiring of a note taker be approved.
SDS will compensate a student who is currently enrolled in the same course as the student with a disability who requires note taking services. (Note: SDS pays for one note taker per class, so it is important for students to discuss this accommodation with the professor to ensure that note taker service for each class is coordinated.)
Hiring a Note Taker
Once a paid note taker has been identified, he or she must be appointed to the payroll system before note taking begins. Otherwise, SDS will consider that note taking is being provided on a volunteer basis.
For a description of the steps and access to the required forms for hiring student employees, go to: Procedure for Hiring and Supervising Note Takers.
Guidelines for Note Takers
Once hired, the following guidelines for note takers and those receiving notes shall apply:
Note takers will:
- Write down all relevant information including lecture notes, test and quiz dates, assignments, and important vocabulary words and terms.
- Attend all classes, be on time, and be prepared to take notes. A note taker who is unable to attend a class should contact the student so other arrangements can be made.
- Meet with the student outside of class when necessary to clarify notes.
Note takers will not:
- Be responsible for the student completing assignments properly or on time.
- Tutor the student for payment by SDS. (Students may hire and pay for tutors on their own.)
- Answer questions about the course content when these questions are better directed to the faculty member or teaching assistant.
- Take notes if the student is not present, except when specific arrangements due to health conditions have been made.
The student with the disability will:
- Supply note taking materials, if necessary.
- Communicate with the note taker regularly and clarify information, if necessary.
- Go to class - the note taker is not a substitute for class attendance.
- Sign the note taker's time sheets before they are submitted.