The role of note taker is significantly important to ensuring a student who needs accommodations has equal access to the course content. Notetakers should possess the ability to focus and take comprehensive and well-structured notes. In addition, it is essential that notetakers maintain confidentiality at all times.
Recruiting Notetakers
Students with the notetaker accommodation can solicit their own notetakers and may not need your assistance. However, if you receive an email notifying you that a student is requesting assistance in obtaining a notetaker, you may choose to do one of the following:
- Make an announcement in class. If you choose to make an announcement, please do not identify the student with the accommodation. Information about the individual student should be kept confidential.
- Post an announcement to the class on Canvas. If you are looking for wording ideas, please contact the Student Accessibility Services Coordinator for help.
- Ask someone in your class who you feel would provide sufficient and quality notes if they’d be willing to volunteer. If someone is identified, refer them to the Student Accessibility Services Coordinator on how to move forward as a notetaker
- Provide the student a copy of your slides and/or class notes, if available.
Benefits to Notetakers
Notetaking is a volunteer assignment and cannot be forced upon. This can be a relatively easy way to earn money for students who regularly attend class and take adequate notes. Benefits to the notetaker include:
- The gratification of helping another student.
- Adding this experience to a résumé.
- Notetakers are reported to be taking better notes and listening more attentively during lectures, labs, etc.
- Notetakers are eligible to receive a stipend at the end of the semester for sending in timely and updated notes (between $30 - $120).
Further Assistance
If you are still struggling to find a volunteer notetaker after two announcement attempts, please contact SAS for further assistance.