Peer Notetakers are paid by the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations to share their notes anonymously with students who have note-taking accommodations. Notetakers are provided for students who, because of a documented disability, benefit from support with taking class notes. Peer note-taking is an accommodation primarily for lecture-style courses. Notetakers support a student's learning by providing clear and accurate notes as a record of lectures or classes.
If your instructor has made an announcement or you’ve received an email looking for a Peer Notetaker, there is a student in your course who needs to be matched with someone who can share lecture notes. Becoming a notetaker is a great way for students to improve their personal note-taking skills, help out a classmate, and earn a bit of money!
Notetaker requirements and duties:
- Attend class on time and on a regular basis. Stay for the entire class period.
- Take thorough notes of lecture material and main discussion points.
- Clearly make note of homework assignments given verbally and/or on the board.
- Type notes or write legibly in dark pencil or pen so that the notes are clear when scanned and uploaded.
- In some instances, the note taker will be required to type their notes so that the student with the accommodation can open the notes in a text-to-speech software or screen reader.
- Upload legible copies of notes as soon as possible and no later than 24 hours after the class meeting to the Accommodate portal.
- Make arrangements for a substitute notetaker in case of absence from class.
- Respond to any questions about notes in a timely manner.
- While note-taking services are provided anonymously between the student taking notes and the student receiving notes, it is still your responsibility to keep confidential all information regarding students with disabilities who are receiving services, should any such information be disclosed to you during the course of your time as a notetaker.
