Direct Note Services

• Contact your instructor to discuss the need for class notes if you cannot locate a note taker on your own.
• Regardless of how a note taker is recruited, DRC students (note recipients) with an approved accommodation for note services, must register as a note recipient
• If you cannot locate a note taker on your own, ask your instructor to make an announcement that the course is searching for a volunteer note taker.
• Adhere to classroom attendance policies. This accommodation is not intended as a substitute for class attendance or taking your own notes but as a supplement to your own notes.
• If you drop this class, please notify your instructor and DRC Note Services.
• Notes received are for personal use only.

There are many note taking technologies that can provide access to notes. Utilizing these technologies can provide greater independence and note taking autonomy.

Examples of note taking technology:

• Record Zoom sessions for online classes with faculty approval
• Use a Livescribe Pen
• Take notes using Microsoft OneNote

Other note taking options:

• See if a fellow classmate is willing to trade notes. They don’t need to know that you have note service as an accommodation.
• Watch any pre-recorded lectures as many times as needed to take quality notes.
• Ask your instructor if they can review your notes during office hours for accuracy

Notes are a summation and highlight of key points. Common note taking strategies include the Cornell method, Outlining method, Mapping method, Charting method, and Sentence method. You can take notes in any method that you choose, but remember that detailed and organized content is important. The preferred document type for sharing these notes is a Word Document. Microsoft Word has many accessibility features that can assist note recipients with accessing the notes you provide.

Requirements:

• Understanding of course material being presented.
• Ability to take thorough notes and capture course content in written format.
• Excellent attendance (*In your absence, be sure to secure notes from another student for the DRC student)
• Uphold the confidentiality of the DRC student(s).

Responsibilities:

• Register as a note taker by completing the DNS Note Taker Registration Form
• Supply notes only for the student(s) to which you are assigned within approximately 24-48 hours of class by emailing them directly to the Note Recipient.
• Supply notes on material from lectures, films, speakers, discussions, etc. (Simply submitting instructor handouts does not constitute a sufficient notes submission).
• When you send notes to the note recipient, format the subject line with the course code, course title, and date.
  Example: MAC2311, Analytical Geometry and Calculus 1, 5/2/2022 Notes

The DRC offers compensation to students who provide notes to DRC note recipients and fulfill all note taker responsibilities. Note takers should complete the following requirements to receive compensation:

• Register as a note taker via the DNS Note Taker Registration Form
• Send notes to the note recipient within 24-48 hours of a lecture or class event
• Continue to send notes to the note recipient until the end of the semester

Please note: note takers are required to inform the DRC if they can no longer submit notes to the note recipient(s) in their course.

There are two options for receiving compensation: bookstore credit and volunteer hours. Only one option can be selected per course in which notes were completed. If the note taker completes notes for multiple classes, they are able to select their compensation choice for each course. Note takers may be asked to supply notes for more than one student in the class. This does not impact the amount of compensation received.

Volunteer Hours

Volunteer hours are calculated per credit hour in the course multiplied by the number of weeks in the term. For example, a 3 credit course that was 14 weeks long would award the note taker with 42 volunteer hours. At the end of the semester, the DRC will provide a verification letter of volunteer hours. If this letter needs to be addressed to a specific organization, please let us know by emailing us at accommodations@ufsa.ufl.edu.

Bookstore Credit

Bookstore credit is awarded at a rate of $25 per credit hour in the course. For example, a 3 credit course would award the note taker with $75 in bookstore credit. This credit is available at the main UF bookstore by default. Please contact the DRC Note Service office if you would like your credit transferred to another bookstore on campus (e.g., Medical or Law School). The DRC processes this credit at the end of the semester in which notes were completed. It typically takes 1-3 weeks for credit to be processed and sent to the bookstore. Note takers will be contacted when their credit is ready to be used.

Bookstore Credit Expiration Schedule
Note takers are encouraged to use their bookstore credit as soon as possible. The credit expires at the following times:

Credit Issued	Credit Expires
Fall 2020	August 1, 2021
Spring 2021	May 1, 2022
Summer 2021	May 1, 2022

Using Bookstore Credit
Bookstore credit can be used both online and in-person. To use your credit for purchases made in-person, please let the bookstore staff know that you have a DRC note taker account at check-out. To use the credit online, select Financial Aid/Other as your payment option and enter your UF ID. You will then select “Disability Resource Center” as your payment option. Please note that if your purchase exceeds your credit amount, you will be responsible for any remaining balance.