The goal of the Class Notes accommodation is to ensure that students with qualifying conditions have notes comparable to what they would take if their disability did not interfere with notetaking. The determination of this accommodation is to be made on a case-by-case basis. This accommodation is not a substitute for the students’ attendance and active participation.

Instructors should meet with the student first, to determine how to best facilitate the Class Notes accommodation for their course. In some cases, the accommodation is not applicable. 

For example:

  • When a course packet is provided which contains complete and thorough notes for the entire term. 
  • When notes are made available online, such as through the ICON course module, or on an instructor’s website. 
  •  When, due to the nature of the course, class notes prove unnecessary. For example, class notes may not be available in highly participatory classes (e.g., yoga, rock climbing, etc.).  Please contact Student Disability Services for any clarification.

Ways Class Notes can be provided:

  • Student Disability Services can provide students with Messenger Pigeon (Formerly Note Taking Express) accounts. Messenger Pigeon is a service that provides transcripts and summary notes from lecture recordings. The student can record from the tool's web application or software download or they can upload a recording to the platform. From there, the student can view AI generated transcripts or request summary notes from a professional note-taker. Typed summary notes will be returned within 48 hours. Students can also upload PowerPoint slides, syllabi, and other course materials that may help the note-taker with context, vocabulary, or references when requesting summary notes.
  • A volunteer peer note-taker, identified by the instructor, shares their class notes. This webpage contains resources for identifying and asking for volunteer student notetakers while respecting confidentiality.
  • A Teaching Assistant, Discussion Leader, or Lab Assistant, can share a copy of their notes.
  • An instructor may choose to provide a copy of their own notes.
  • Where practical, an instructor can assign a group or groups of students to transcribe and upload notes, for the entire class to access. This scenario can provide universal benefits, including collaboration, exhibiting an understanding of the learning material, and providing feedback for the instructor on what students are understanding.

Class notes are:

  • Typically, more thorough and comprehensive than a PowerPoint, presentation materials, or outline.
  • Notes that give the structure of the class and build on presentation materials.
  • Notes that include any assignment directions or reminders given in the class. This includes reminders about any quizzes or exams, reviews, and changes to the course schedule.
  • Notes in discussion classes that cover the questions asked or discussed, or any important information such as themes or concepts.
  • Only for educational purposes. The student registered with Student Disability Services is responsible for not sharing them publicly on any platform.

After consulting with the SDS student these materials may or may not be sufficient for class notes:

  • Presentation Materials (Slides): These are helpful for understanding the main points of a lecture. However, they alone do not fully constitute comprehensive class notes.
  • Video or Audio Recordings: These can be valuable for reviewing the lecture content. They capture the spoken information and visual cues, but they might lack detailed notes.
  • Transcripts or Verbatim Notes: These provide a word-for-word account of what was said during the class. They offer the most detailed information but can be hard for students to reference due to it being too detailed.