A student’s disability may prevent them from taking adequate notes, keeping up with pace, transferring information, etc. These students may be eligible to receive a copy of notes from the class lecture. The College of Lake County provides this access through the use of peer note takers. Understand however, that notes are not about information, but access. Explanation of notes, tutoring, etc. is not part of this accommodation. For more in-depth information, please review our FAQ’s page.
At times, an instructor may already provide powerpoints, notes, or other guided notes (such as fill in the blank notes) on Canvas. In cases such as these, a note-taker may not be provided.
Should a student be eligible for the accommodation of an in-class note taker, the college will provide one. Currently, instructors for that student are asked to make an announcement noting that a note taker is needed within that class. The verbiage for that announcement is provided by the ADRC so as to respect the student’s privacy. Peers within the class that are interested will contact ADRC (who will train the student and have them sign the appropriate contract). When this occurs, the student taking notes will introduce themselves to the student in need of note taking.
Though not universal in delivery, most notes are scanned or photographed and sent directly to the student via their student provided email address. Other options for delivery may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Students wishing to remain anonymous should consult with an Accessibility Coordinator and make that need known. The Accessibility Coordinator will then work with the student to acquire an anonymous email address in which to be contacted.
At times, it may be necessary to provide ‘priority’ status when acquiring a note taker. This entails the ADRC making calls through the class roster to acquire a note taker, often before the start of the semester. Please consult with an Accessibility Coordinator for more information.
As part of the interactive process, and to ensure that notes are timely and consistent, students receiving note takers will be asked to sign a contract in which they agree to contact ADRC if they:
- add, drop, or change sections of a class
- determine that a note taker is no longer necessary within a given class
- have issue with legibility, frequency, or quality of the notes and, having spoken with the note taker, remains unresolved
In addition, students receiving this service are expected to:
- Show up to class and stay for the duration of the class
- Take notes to the best of his/her ability
- Provide ADRC with a signature verifying the receipt of notes at the end of the semester
Please consult with an Accessibility Coordinator for further information.