The Peer Notetaking Program is a resource for students who have difficulty taking notes while listening to class lectures or have a physical disability prohibiting writing. Peer notetaking support is expected to supplement the notes of the student with accommodations. Notetaking is not a substitute for the student's own notes, attendance, and participation in class.
Student Responsibilities
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Notetaking assistance is designed to supplement the student's own notes; they should not rely solely on a peer’s notes.
- Students are expected to comply with the course attendance policy as notetaking assistance is not a substitute for attending class.
- Students should contact SDAC at [email protected] if the notes are inadequate or have not been received within seven calendar days of the course date.
- Students must request the classes for which they require notes every semester.
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Example of Items to Include in email to [email protected] |
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Course Subject |
Course Number |
Section Number |
Instructor |
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ASTR |
1010 |
201 |
Smith |
Instructor Responsibilities
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SDAC requests that instructors make an announcement regarding the need for a notetaker. To increase the chance of a response, post and announce the request in multiple formats, such as an announcement in lecture, via email to the class roster, and/or post a notice to Canvas. The following statement can be used to make the request:
- “If you attend class regularly, take notes, and are willing to be part of making our class more accessible for your classmates with disabilities, please contact me to volunteer as our class notetaker”
- It is appropriate if an instructor wants to provide extra credit for a student serving in this capacity.
- As a reminder: The student(s) registered with SDAC should always be kept confidential.
- Please email [email protected] to if the same notes can be used across multiple class sections (i.e., ASTR 1010.101, ASTR 1010.102, and ASTR 1010.103)
Notetaker Responsibilities
Application:
- Complete the online Notetaker Application. Select the applicable class(es) for which notetaking assistance is being provided. Please email [email protected] with any questions.
Responsibilities:
- Try to take accurate and clear notes representative of the entire class session.
- Notes should include key information from the lecture, chalk/white board, about course or homework assignments, quizzes, and exams.
- Many volunteer notetakers feel a lot of pressure to be perfect when taking notes. What is most important is consistency, accuracy, and being reliable.
- Upload the notes for each class session to the SDAC database within seven calendar days of the class meeting date. How to Upload Notes (Word doc)
- If a notetaker is absent for any class, find a substitute notetaker to ensure notes are provided.
faqs
- Why are notes not available?
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Has your professor or TA made other arrangements?
- Perhaps they have another method for distribution. Contact your professor.
- This sometimes takes some time. Contact your professor to check the status.
- Notes are not provided for lab or discussion-based courses. Notes are more appropriate for lecture-based courses.
- How do I apply to be a notetaker
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Complete the online Notetaker Application Log in to the SDAC Portal and select the applicable class(es) for which notetaking services are being provided.
- I am trying to apply to be a notetaker, and the Portal states that I already have an account. What do I do?
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Please email [email protected] with the course subject, course number, section number, and instructor last name.
- How do I upload my notes?
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- Log in to the SDAC Portal.
- Select the “Notetaker” tab at the top.
- Scroll down to “File Information” and choose the class, week #, and day of the notes.
- Select file and upload notes. (Tutorial: How to Upload Notes (Word doc))
- I volunteered to be a notetaker, but I have not received my assignment. What should I do?
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- Check that the username is correct. It should be the same as your UVA computing ID.
- If you still are having trouble, email [email protected] with the course subject, course number, section number, and instructor last name.
- Do I have to type my notes?
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Typing is preferred, but handwritten notes are fine if they are legible. If you use gel ink or Sharpie pens, limit your writing to one side of the paper only. Otherwise, the ink bleeds through the page which makes notes unreadable when uploaded.
- What type of files are acceptable?
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The maximum file size is 3MB. Acceptable file types: Rich Text File (RTF) Text File (TXT) Microsoft Word (DOC or DOCX) Microsoft Excel (XLS or XLSX) PDF Document (Scan with 300 DPI or less) Image (PNG, JPEG, or JPG) Microsoft PowerPoint is (PPT or PPTX) not recommended due to size.
- Can I use assistive technology notetaking?
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Students may be approved for assistive technology notetaking accommodations on a case-by-case basis. For questions about notetaking assistive technology accommodations, please contact your SDAC Advisor.