Anoka Ramsey Community College

Note-Taking Accommodations

• Audio Record Lectures

  Students with barriers pertaining to the act of note taking may have access to the information via audio recording. 

  Things to know about this accommodation:

  • Students must be approved and have a current Letter of Accommodation for the semester during which they are recording lectures
  • Students are encouraged to inform faculty that they will be recording lectures
  • Students should utilize their own personal recording device (digital audio recorder, smartphone, tablet, etc.) to access information in class
  • Students must be permitted to use their recording device in the classroom
  • Information contained in the recorded audio is protected under federal copyright laws
  • Students should use discretion in recording when content may not require note taking (i.e. discussion involving self-disclosure of sensitive information)

  Students approved to record their lectures acknowledge that the recordings are for personal use only. Class lectures, and comments made by classmates, are the property of the speaker and cannot be shared or transferred, by any means, with others.

• Use of Personal Laptop

  Students with barriers pertaining to the act of note taking may be approved to utilize a personal laptop if it is deemed the most appropriate means of accessing notes in class.

  Things to know about this accommodation:

  • Students must be approved and have a current Letter of Accommodation for the semester during which they are using a laptop in class
  • Students must provide their own personal laptop
  • Use of laptop is for access to course materials and note taking purposes only and is not permitted to be used for any other reason

• Copies of Lecture Notes or PowerPoints

  Students with barriers pertaining to the act of note taking may benefit from having access to PowerPoints, outlines, lecture notes, or other guided notes, prior to class or for review. 

  Things to know about this accommodation:

  • Students must be approved and have a current Letter of Accommodation for the semester during which they are requesting notes from instructors
  • Students should work with faculty to determine what information is available to them and how it will be distributed (i.e. electronic format, physical copies, time to review during an office hour)
  • Faculty are not obligated to disseminate their intellectual property, but are encourage to support students need for access to information presented in class

• Volunteer Note Taker

  Students with barriers pertaining to the act of note-taking notes may have access to utilize a volunteer peer note take

  • Generally, students are encouraged to attend class at least once to determine if the course will be structured in such a way that limitations will lead to missed information. Students who decide to utilize their volunteer note taker accommodation must complete the Note Taker Request Form (each semester).

  Things to know about this accommodation:

  • Students must be approved and have a current Letter of Accommodation for the semester during which the note-taker is being requested
  • Note-takers are not paid, rather they are peers from the course volunteering to share their notes with OSD
  • OSD will make every attempt to collect notes, though the quality, quantity, and frequency of the notes themselves cannot be guaranteed
  • Students requesting a note taker are kept anonymous, volunteers simply know they are sharing their notes for a student in the class

  How it works:

  1. Student is approved for the Volunteer Note Taker accommodation
  2. Student completes the Note Taker Request Form for course(s) they would like to use this accommodation in (each semester)
  3. OSD sends a request to student’s instructor requesting a recommended volunteer, or OSD visits class and asks for a volunteer
  4. OSD coordinates getting notes directly with volunteer
  5. OSD sends notes from the volunteer to the student who requested them

  Information for Volunteer Note Takers:

  Thank you for volunteering to take notes for a student in need of access to the information in your course!

  Please follow the below process:

  1. Take notes as you always have in your class (if possible, use pen as it is easier to read)
  2. At least one time a week (more if you are able or if you see fit) come to L122—Office for Students with Disabilities—and share your notes with us
     • When you arrive, please make sure one of our staff know you are there to share your notes.  We will scan them and send them directly to the student(s) in need.
     • OR If you prefer, and for convenience, scan notes yourself and send them to Disability Services
       • In the Subject line of the email, please be sure to indicate the course the notes are for (i.e. ENGL 1121)
       • Please check the quality of scanned documents prior to sending them.

  3. OSD will send the notes directly to the student who requested them

• Use of Device to Take Pictures

  Students with barriers pertaining to the act of note taking may be approved to utilize a personal device with a camera function to take pictures of notes, in particular visual representations such as graphs, and drawings, if it is deemed an appropriate means of accessing notes in class.

  Things to know about this accommodation:

  • Students must be approved and have a current Letter of Accommodation for the semester during which they are using a personal device with a camera function in class
  • Student must provide their own personal device
  • Use of device is for access to course materials and note taking purposes only and is not permitted to be used for any other reason
  • Students are encouraged to inform faculty that they will be using a device to take pictures of notes
  • Students should only take pictures of materials they are not able to capture in another format

• Contacts

  Office for Students with Disabilities
  763-433-1350

  Kelly Torok-Linder, Student Support Staff
  763-433-1968

  Molly Tast, OSD Coordinator
  763-433-1318

  Jaimie Lopez, Director
  763-433-1122

• Locations

  Cambridge Campus
  Check-in at Front Desk

  Coon Rapids Campus
  Office L122

  Maps & Hours

• Resources

  FAQ

  Office for Students with Disabilities Student Handbook

  Minnesota State Policy 1B.4
  Access & Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities