PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTING NOTE TAKING ACCOMMODATIONS If you are approved for note taking accommodations the following procedures apply to you.
Q
How do I request note taking accommodations?
A
If you are approved for note taking accommodations and you would like to use your note taking accommodations for a course, please follow these steps:
- Select the ‘Courses/Notes’ top menu item, a table listing your courses will appear.
- Ensure that you have selected the appropriate term on the ‘Show Term’ scroll down menu at the top right side of the table.
- Select 'Yes' under the 'I require a note taker' column for the course that you would like to request note taking accommodations for.
Selecting Your Note-Taker
Q
The Centre provided a note taking package to my instructor but I have not heard an announcement in class for volunteers?
A
Please speak to your instructor during their office hours and remind him/her to make an announcement for note-takers at the beginning of the next lecture. If you have done this and still do not hear a call made in the course, please notify our office immediately.
Q
How will I know if you have a note taker for me?
A
Please check the online note taking database to determine if a note taker is available. If more than one week has passed since the professor’s announcement, please notify us immediately.
Q
What do I do if no students have volunteered during the instructor’s recruitment announcement?
A
If no students volunteer during the instructor's announcement, please notify us immediately. Please ensure that you keep us informed in order for us to assist you in the best way that we can.
Q
What if no potential note takers are available?
A
If "none available at this time" is indicated in the "Note Taker Availability" column, we have not yet received a completed note taker application for that course (registration information and sample notes). If classes for this course have already begun, and one week has passed since your Professor's in class announcement, please contact Accessibility at 905-828-5422
Q
Once I have chosen a note taker what happens next?
A
The note taker you have chosen will receive an automated email notifying them that they have been selected. They will be asked to submit a copy of their notes within 24-48 hours of each lecture.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
It is ultimately your responsibility as a student to be familiar with expectations for course components like assignments and exams. If your note taker has provided information in the notes about due dates or expectations for course components, it is your responsibility to check with the professor to ensure this information is accurate.
Q
Can I share the lecture notes provided to me with peers and friends in the course?
A
No. You are not permitted to share your notes with peers. Accessibility has obtained permission from the note taker to copy their lecture notes for the sole use of students with disabilities who require this as an accommodation. Providing notes to other students without the note taker’s consent is in violation of the agreement with the note taker, against the centre’s policies and regulations, and can endanger the reputation of our services. If you are found sharing the notes with peers, your accommodations will be jeopardized.
Q
Do I still have to attend class even if I am provided with lecture notes from a note taker?
A
Yes, you are expected to attend all lectures even if you are approved for note taking accommodations. Frequent non-disability-related absences will initiate a suspension of service for the course until you meet with your Advisor to review your accommodation needs and applicable procedures. It is not in your best interest to replace attendance with getting a copy of the notes from our volunteers. It also risks the reputation of the office and deters volunteers from supplying a copy of their notes if students do not attend lectures.
Q
What do I do if I am missing lecture notes for a course?
A
Once you have selected a note taker, you are required to check that you have received a copy of the notes every week, usually 2 business days after the course lecture. If you are missing notes, you are required to follow up with Accessibility within 1 week of the lecture that you are missing notes for. In order to follow up on any missing lecture notes, please provide us with the course code, lecture section and lecture dates which you are missing notes for. You may contact us in any of the following ways:
- Send an e-mail to accessnotes.utm@utoronto.ca
- Speak to us in person (room 2240, Davis Building)
- Or, phone us at: 905-828-5422
If more than 3 weeks have passed since the lecture that you are missing notes for, and you have not notified Accessibility, we will not be able to follow-up nor assist you in retrieving notes for those lectures.
Rationale:
It is important for students to realize the purpose of receiving peer note-taking as an accommodation. As a student, you receive this accommodation because the impact of your disability may negatively affect your ability to take sufficient notes during lectures and tutorials. The purpose of receiving peer notes is to have an accurate, complete set of notes because you may have difficulty doing this yourself due to concentration difficulties, information processing difficulties, difficulties with writing, etc. Since learning takes place throughout the entire semester, you need to pick up your peer notes on a regular basis to review and facilitate your learning process. If you do not pick your notes up on a regular basis, it may suggest that you do not require this accommodation. We do recognize that there may be extenuating circumstances that may prevent you from picking up the peer notes. If this is the case, then please speak to your Disability Advisor immediately.
Exceptions:
An exception to this policy will be taken into consideration if there are extenuating circumstances (e.g., hospitalization).
Q
What do I do if I have more questions about the note taking service?
A
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