The volunteer note taking service is provided to students who have registered with Student Accessibility Services and are entitled to note taking as an academic accommodation.
If note taking is approved as an accommodation deemed to be necessary for academic success, students will be asked to e-mail notetaker@uwindsor.ca and indicate the classes for which notes will be required.
Despite our best efforts and often for reasons beyond our control, a notetaker cannot always be guaranteed.
For this reason, we recommend that you explore alternatives with your instructor, and take the best notes you can throughout the course.
Alternatives may include (but are not necessarily limited to:
- Speaking to your Professor about audio recording the lecture
- Checking with your instructor to see if they have notes or Powerpoints to share
- Checking if notes are provided on Blackboard or on reserve in the library
- Approaching a classmate for notes that you can borrow / photocopy
- Using a laptop to type lecture notes
Even if a note taker does come forward there is no guarantee that they will fulfill all of the requirements throughout the semester. It is for these reasons that it is important for you to attend every class, take as many notes as possible in your lectures and notify your professor if notes are not being posted on a regular basis or if they are of a poor quality.
Due to the volume of requests the SAS Note taking program can receive in a typical semester, our program has been designed in such a way that it is the students’ responsibility to raise quality control issues.
For example, if notes are missing or are constantly being sent to you late, it is your responsibility to raise this with your note taker, your professor and when necessary your Advisor in SAS.
Timely communication is also a key responsibility. SAS asks volunteer note takers to post their notes in a timely manner and, similarly, asks students to inform us of any problems in a timely manner.
For example, SAS will not be able to secure notes before an exam if you were not to inform our office, within a reasonable amount of time, that you have not been receiving notes, or, that they have been of a poor quality.
Once you receive that contact information, you are responsible for contacting the volunteer and beginning the exchange.
As soon as you are approved to have note taking as an accommodation, you are consenting to communicate directly with the volunteer unless you inform your Advisor in SAS otherwise.