Student Disability Services (SDS) will help a student with special needs obtain class note-takers whenever it establishes that this is a reasonable and appropriate accommodation. The procedure is as follows:

• The student makes SDS aware of the need and obtains a letter to give to the course instructor(s). The letter explains the student’s need for a note-taker and requests that the instructor ask for a volunteer from the class (may be done by email or as an in-class announcement) without disclosing the identity of the student requesting notes. Volunteers are asked to contact SDS directly, giving their name and student ID and indicating the class for which they are willing provide notes.
  
• Once a volunteer has been assigned, the guidelines for note-taking are as follows:
  • Notes must be clear, concise, and appropriate. Typed notes are preferred, but, in some cases, clear handwritten notes will be accepted.
  • Every week, the volunteer uploads a digital version of the notes (scanned pdf if handwritten) to the SDS discussion forum in Blackboard (via my.newschool.edu). The student who needs the notes can download them from Blackboard anonymously. 
    

Volunteer note-takers are compensated by SDS at the end of the semester with a gift card to Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. The amount of the gift card will be based on the academic level of the course and the quality of the notes provided.

If an instructor fails to ask for a volunteer from the class, the student requesting note-taking services should contact SDS and a representative will contact the instructor directly. Under unusual circumstances, it may be possible for SDS to hire a work-study student as a note-taker.