Become a Note Taker

Why does sharing notes help?

Students with certain disabilities may struggle with actively participating in their learning, while taking notes. When you work with SAS to provide notes, you are helping to give students with disabilities fair and equitable access to their education.

A student assigned a note sharer or note taker creates a record of the main points and supporting ideas discussed in class. Note Takers do not transcribe, they provide the information that any student in the course would need to know to study or prepare for assessments and assignments.

All Note Takers who satisfy the requirements of their role will:

be formally recognized with a letter of acknowledgment
be able to include on their Record of Student Development (RSD), please visit the RSD webpage for the competencies associated with this role

Already assigned courses as a Peer Note Sharer/Note Taker?

You can upload your notes by accessing the Clockwork portal below.

Clockwork Portal

Clockwork Instructions

Types of Note Sharers

Peer Note sharers

This is a volunteer role and will be the primary note taking support provided by SAS. Having satisfied the requirements of the role, and for each course assigned, note sharers will have their name entered in a draw for $200 gift card.

Professional Note takers

This is a paid position, and the support is limited to students with specific disabilities. Professional note takers will be paid the current minimum wage as per instructions sent by Human Resources. They may also be contacted by SAS for additional documentation. Opportunities for this position will be limited.

When confirming your interest in providing notes for a course, SAS will always indicate if the position is a paid opportunity. Your response will not affect your eligibility for other courses.

Should you have any questions, please contact notetaking@nipissingu.ca or call 705-474-3450 ext. 4331/4633.

Role Expectations

Taking notes:

Notes will include content and discussions but nothing that identifies what a student said
Make sure to include announcements or updates shared with the class
Some classes involve discussion or sensitive information that should not be recorded
You must stop recording or taking notes, if instructed by professor to do so
If asked by professor, explain your role as a note sharer/taker or refer them to SAS with any concerns

Quality notes:

For accessibility reasons, all notes should be electronic.
- Handwritten notes may be accepted (i.e., courses with diagrams, equations, formulas etc.)
Use accessible formatting including sans serif fonts that are at least 12pt
Use headings and clearly show the topic/chapter associated with the class
State the date of the class and/or academic week in the document.
Name the file clearly, with the class date.
Review notes for spelling, grammar and clarify before uploading.

Sharing your notes:

Upload completed notes within 48 hours of the class via the online portal.

If taking notes for an asynchronous course, notes must be uploaded at least once a week.

Use the “Comments” section:

to communicate with the student regarding notes or if there is a delay.
instead of an upload, to indicate there was no class on a specific date.

Application Process

APPLICATION:
Select "Note-takers" on the main menu in the ClockWork Portal

First-time applicants: Click 'Profile' and follow the steps to register.

Existing note takers: Click on “Course/Notes”

After submitting your courses, you will receive a confirmation email.

SELECTION:
When we have a matching request, we will reach out to you to confirm that you are still available to provide notes and specify whether this is a volunteer vs. paid position.

If you are available, we will follow up with instructions on how to upload your notes and any payment information, if applicable.

If at any time you wish to withdraw a course from your list, you can do so by returning to the “Course/Notes” page.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact us at notetaking@nipissingu.ca.

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