Note Taking Procedures

Volunteer Note Taker Overview 

Students with barriers pertaining to the act of taking [physical or electronic] notes for access to information from class lectures may qualify for note take taking support through SAS.  A volunteer note taker is a peer, registered for the same course as the student requesting note taking support, who will share their personal notes with the approved student. Shared notes are meant to supplement and support students learning and is not a substitute for class attendance. Students who prefer coordinating note sharing with a peer they know, may do so outside of the formal volunteer note taking process. 

Information about Volunteer Note Taking 

• SAS makes all attempts to keep the name of note takers and note requests anonymous.  
• SAS cannot guarantee a volunteer note taker will be identified, but will work with students to find all options for access to course materials 
• Commonly, students will have attempted to use alternate accommodations (like audio recording lectures) to gain access to course material prior to making a request for the term 
• Volunteer Note Takers may not be needed for every class  
• Volunteer Note Taker is not always reasonable for courses structured in ways that allow for repeated access to materials (asynchronous, recorded lectures, instructor notes available) 
• SAS may request additional information about a request to ensure it is reasonable  

How to Request a Volunteer Note Taker 

Generally, and to the greatest extent possible, SAS works with students to determine options for note taking that allows for autonomy in accessing information.  Students registered with SAS who have been approved for a volunteer note taker should complete the following steps to make their request each semester.  

1. Review course materials and structure to determine a volunteer note taker is needed. Often, this includes attending 1-2 class sessions  
2. If access to notes is not available through other means, please email sas@stcloudstate.edu with the following information:  
   Student Full Name: 
   Student SCSU ID: 
   SCSU Email Address: 
   Course(s) ID/section requesting note taker for: 
3. SAS will send notification to instructor to begin the process of finding a volunteer note taker 
4. Instructors should refer a student who volunteers to serve as a note taker by emailing the following to  sas@stcloudstate.edu:  

Serving as a volunteer note taker is a great way to support the academic success of your peers.  If a volunteer note taker is requested you will receive communication from your instructor with more information.    

You may be a great volunteer if you: 

• Attend class regularly 
• Take notes in a manner that is clear and organized 
• Have specific experience, interest, or expertise in the content area  

How to Volunteer to be a Note Taker 

1. When a request is made from the instructor, let them know you are volunteering 
2. Email sas@stcloudstate.edu to confirm your participation. Please include the following information:  
   Volunteer Note Taker’s Full Name: 
   SCSU Tech ID: 
   Volunteer’s Email Address: 
   Course ID/section volunteering for: 
3. Take notes as you naturally would in class 
4. Aafter each class period, email completed notes to sas@stcloudstate.edu  
5. SAS will share notes directly with the student making the request  

Digital note taking methods are preferred (typing notes in Word, using OneNote, or other computer-based note taking options) 

Please note: using digital methods is not a requirement, but is helpful.  Physical notes can be shared with Student Accessibility Services digitally by using a scanning app like CamScanner (free)-  www.camscanner.com/login  

Information for Instructors Requesting a Volunteer 

Instructors will always receive an official message from SAS requesting a volunteer note taker for their course if it is needed.  Their responsibility in the volunteer note taking process is to help identify an individual to serve as a note taker and connect them to SAS.   

1. Instructor receives email request from SAS (this is separate from the accommodation letter)
2. Instructor makes request to class via email or announces the request
3. When a volunteer is identified, email sas@stcloudstate.edu with the student name and email