Disability Services & Resources

Notetaking Policies and Procedures

Students whose disability limitations include hearing loss or deafness, coordination or motor limitations, and students who have some types of psychological or learning disabilities, may be eligible for notetaking services. Requests for notetakers should be submitted before class begins as it may take two weeks or longer to arrange for an appropriately qualified notetaker. Requests made after classes begin move the timetable further into the semester.

1. To obtain a notetaker, the student fills out a Request for Notetaking Services form and returns it to his or her DS&R counselor for approval. After a discussion concerning the need, the DS&R counselor will make notetaker placement decisions. Notetaking service is not automatic for any student.
2. If the request is approved, a letter is sent to the professor requesting that he/she announce the need for a volunteer in that class.
3. Students who need notetakers are encouraged to seek out other students whom they believe take good and complete notes. All notetakers need to register with DS&R in order to qualify for the gift certificate
4. Students receiving notetaking services are required to read the Student Notes Module, complete the receipt form and return it to the counselor.
5. The requesting student will be provided the name, phone number and email address of the volunteer notetaker. S/he must contact the volunteer and arrange to meet. No notes will be provided until this meeting has taken place.
6. Students must attend each class session and let the notetaker know they are in class in order to get the notes. Notes will not be provided to students who are absent from class (except in very rare situations when the absence has been previously approved through the DS&R counselor).
7. Students are encouraged to take their own notes to the best of their ability. Studies show that taking even just a few notes is better than just listening. Taping lectures to listen again can fill in missing information as well.
8. Notetakers only takes notes. They are not expected to act as tutors or to explain course information. Each student must ask questions or get more information from the instructor if the course material is unclear, and not rely on the notetaker to ask questions for them.
9. Communication between volunteer note taker and note recipient is important for the smooth functioning of the program. Notetakers need to be informed as to how the notes are working. The recipient should feel free to make suggestions that will make the notes more useful.
10. Either student should contact the Notetaking Coordinator immediately if:
    a. Any situation arises that students can’t work out.
    b. A notetaker is no longer needed.
    c. Either party drops the course.
    d. Either party is having a problem getting a response from the other
    e. Either party is frequently tardy or absent.
    f. Either party has questions about policies or procedures.
11. Course notes are made available electronically by e-mail. Copy and save your notes in a folder on your hard drive or on another electronic storage device rather than in your mailbox. This prevents running out of mailbox space.
12. Notetakers may deliver notes to DS&R from 8:00-4:30, M-F. All notes will be copied and made available electronically by 4:45 p.m. of the day they are received.
    

Online Note Taker Training

The Northeast Technical Assistance Center offers online note taker training. It is interactive and free of charge. Those who complete the course successfully get a certificate. The three training modules take about 90 minutes to complete and are self-paced. You can stop training and come back at another time by simply logging on and picking up where you left off.