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Note-Taking

Responsibilities

Timing

Note-receivers need the notes as soon as possible after the lecture. This might depend on the course, but generally we ask you to post the notes within two to three days of the class.

Confidentiality

Maintain the confidentiality of student- and disability-related information at all times. Do not disclose the student’s name or the nature of the service being provided.

Attendance

It is your responsibility to attend class on a regular basis and to provide notes for every lecture.

  • If you miss class: We understand that sometimes missing class is unavoidable. Please immediately borrow suitable notes from another student to post. We also suggest that you upload a document for that particular week letting students know that notes may be posted late.
  • If the note-receiver misses class: Note-receivers must attend class and take their own notes. There are disability-related reasons that can lead to a student missing class; the ALC will deal with these issues. If you notice that a student misses more than two classes, please contact the ALC to let us know.

Boundaries

You are not responsible for tutoring, helping with assignments, or providing information from readings. If note-receivers approach you for this assistance, please respectfully decline and refer them back to the ALC.

Conflict of Interest Policy

Persons who are in a familial, sexual, marital or financial relationship (per university policy 8.1) with an ALC registered student may not act as a tutor, proctor or note-taker for that student.

Should such a relationship begin, the ALC should be immediately informed and alternative arrangements for note-taking will be made by the staff at the centre.

Format of Notes

  • Notes should be well organized. Include dates, course name, headings and subtitles.
  • Look for and follow the organization of the lecture.
  • Indent information under related headings.
  • Leave blanks when unsure and get clarification after class.
  • Circle or star assignments and announcements such as test dates and due dates.
  • Include notes from slides, videos, guests and/or presentations that contain information that may be evaluated (verify with the note-receivers and/or instructor if you’re unsure).
  • If notes are not given on a particular class meeting, post the following: “No notes for the class meeting on MM/DD/YYYY.” If known, write the reason that no notes were provided (e.g., class was cancelled due to weather).

Check out our tips for taking notes.

Posting Notes Online

  1. Log in to the Accessible Learning Online portal using your MyLaurier username (e.g. smit6789) and password.
  2. In the home screen, scroll down to "File Information."
  3. Using the drop-down menu, select the course for which you wish to upload notes. If you're a note-taker for more than one course, ensure you select the correct course.
  4. Enter the week number in the "Notes for:" field.
  5. Select the day(s) of the week your notes were taken (e.g. Tuesday and Thursday).
  6. Select your files using the "Choose File" button.
  7. Select "Open."
  8. Select "Upload Notes."
  9. If you want to be anonymous, select "hide my name from student."
  10. Ensure your notes were uploaded to the system successfully. Look for a checkmark and a "System Update Successful" notification at the top of the page.

If you have any problems with this process, let the ALC know immediately. You can also check out our note-taking FAQs.

Evaluations 

Note-Takers

At the completion of each term, you will be asked to complete a note-taking evaluation form. We are interested in your constructive feedback so that we may continuously make improvements to enhance the program.

Note-Receivers

Toward the end of each term, the ALC asks each note-receiver to review their note-takers. Posting your notes consistently and with all the relevant additional discussion points from the class can earn you a good rating. You should also be aware that we often do spot checks to ensure notes are being posted regularly.