Brenda Sunderdance, from Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD), and Angela Miller, director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, recently developed a new process for getting notetakers for students who need this accommodation called Access Services. 

According to Sunderdance, the new process has “more flexibility and is more efficient for the students who need to use the service” because instead of having to come to the SSWD office to get notes, students with note taking accommodations can download the notetaker’s notes from Access Services. 

This is how it will work: first, SSWD sets up profiles in Access Services for notetakers. Then, notetakers enter the classes they’re interested in taking notes for and SSWD matches the classes with the students who need the notes. 

One big difference with the new system is that SSWD is “now paying notetakers for sharing their notes,” explained Sunderdance. Notetakers will earn “$25 per credit hour and $75 for a three-credit class.” Notetakers can take notes for more than one class in a semester. 

The note taking process changed, according to Sunderdance, because the previous system was not very consistent. Sunderdance said that it “relied heavily on instructors, who are very busy at the beginning of the semester,” to find students who would be willing and able to take thorough, legible notes without being paid. 

“With any new system, it takes time to develop new processes and procedures,” Sunderdance said  “and we’re still working on changing the communication process.” 

The people who work in SSWD understand the new system, but, as Sunderdance noted, it will take time to train the users in how to use the new system fluently.

SSWD is excited about the new system. As Sunderdance said, “I like the new way of making notetakers better because it will improve access for students with disabilities.”

SSWD is actively recruiting students to be notetakers, and anyone interested should contact Brenda Sunderdance at 342-1818, where they will be asked to fill out an application.