1. Disability Services
  2. For Students
  3. Peer Notetakers

Peer Notetakers

As a peer note-taker, you can positively impact your classmates and your own academic performance. Refine your academic skills and serve fellow students as a peer note-taker! 

The Office of Disability Services (ODS) receives requests for note-takers each semester. 

What Does a Note-Taker Do?

Note takers simply share their personal lecture notes with a classmate. Notes provided by peer note-takers supplement or provide notes for those who are unable to take notes during class. Note takers do not provide any academic assistance or advantage for those who use the service. A note taker is not a tutor, interpreter, or reader/writer. Not all courses qualify for the note taking accommodation; courses that do not occur in real time or have no lecture/notes component do not qualify for notes, including online-only, developmental math, non-lecture courses, etc. Please contact ODS if you have questions about which courses qualify for note taking.

Why Do Students Need Note-Takers?

ODS facilitates access to note-taking accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Eligible students have disabilities that may inhibit their ability to take notes, due to a variety of reasons: it may be a physical (limited use of hands, low vision, interacting with a sign language interpreter, etc.) or non-physical reason.

How do I become a peer note-taker?

To qualify to become a peer note-taker, you must be a currently enrolled in a class that requires a note taker. You may become involved in the note taker program through a variety of ways:

  • Signing up to be a note-taker through our online portal. Go to ULINK-> Academics-> Apply to be a notetaker (Under the Disability Services Section)
  • You might receive a message from a student or instructor, requesting a volunteer.
  • You elect to take notes for ODS or a particular student (availability based your current schedule & note taker demand).

If you wish to participate please fill out the following application. Be sure to list the classes for which you are willing to take notes.

Disability Services will notify you via University email if you have been matched with a note-taking assignment. Once matched, you will be registered for an account for our online database, the Accessibility Information Management (AIM) system.

You will be instructed to log into AIM and sign a note taker agreement acknowledgment.

How Does Note Taking Work?

  1. Take notes as usual during class. Be sure to record all pertinent content.
  2. Upload notes to AIM database within 24 hours of the end of each class session.

What are the benefits of note-taking?

Priority Scheduling:

  • You will receive priority scheduling for the next semester.

Community Service Hours:

  • Volunteer note-takers can receive community service hours from ODS, which may qualify certain academic or extracurricular program requirements. At the end of the semester, you may request to receive a digital copy or pick up a hard copy of a letter verifying your volunteer hours.

Enhance Your Résumé:

  • Example Résumé Statement:
    • Volunteer Note-Taker (Fall 2019-Spring 2020) 51ÊÓƵ at Lafayette, Office of Disability Services
      • Provided detailed class notes for qualified students registered with the Office of Disability Services. [# weeks or semesters] of accommodation note-taking service were completed.