University Disability Support Services

Student Educational Opportunity

Note Taking Services

Note Taking services may be provided to students who have hearing impairments, hand-function limitations, learning disabilities effecting written expression or students who have visual impairments. Other conditions may be eligible; check with your coordinator.  UDSS asks instructors to help identify qualified note-takers in individual classes to volunteer to provide notes.  Students may elect to arrange a loan of notes from the note-taker long enough to either use one of the copy machines on campus, or to bring the notes to the UDSS office where they will be copied at no charge for the eligible student.  Carbonless note-taking paper is also available from the UDSS office. Students who opt to use note-taking paper are responsible for picking up a supply from UDSS and providing it to the note-taker.

Keep in mind, the best notes are those you create yourself.  Notes from others reflect the foundation of knowledge that individual has about the subject matter.  In addition, someone else's notes reflect their impression about what is important in a lecture, and may not necessarily correspond with what you would consider important. Therefore, students who use note-taking services are also strongly encouraged to take notes of their own as possible. 

Recorded lectures can be used to review and update notes, whether the notes are your own or are borrowed from someone else.  Recorded lectures also provide a back-up source of information from the class and can be a wonderful study tool. 

UDSS also has a number of SmartPens available for student loan.  SmartPens are an effective tool that allow students to record lectures and sync the lecture with their written notes.  If interested, please talk to your UDSS coordinator.