Welcome To
Volunteer Peer Note-Sharing Services
What is Note-Sharing?
Note-sharing support is an accommodation provided only to students registered with Student Accessibility Serves (SAS) and who require access to information delivered in lectures and/or tutorials. The office operates under guidelines set pursuant to both the York University Senate Policy on Accommodating Students with Disabilities and the Ontario Human Rights Code.
The student/s requesting note-sharing support will use your notes to supplement their own notes for study purposes.
How to become a Volunteer Note-Sharer:
- Register Online using your Passport York Identification.
- Review your responsibilities and obligations to participate in the Note Sharing program.
- As part of the registration process, you must acknowledge the confidentiality and intellectual property obligations as a Volunteer Note Sharer.
- Before you enter the courses you want to volunteer for please check to make sure they are listed here: https://www.yorku.ca/sasweb/noteshare/show2.php. If the course, you wish to volunteer for is not listed that means we do not have the need for a peer volunteer.
- You do not need to upload sample notes, we do not use this feature.
- The student will select one person to be the primary volunteer, however, this is just a formality as the student has access to all notes that any peer volunteer uploads. If you are not the primary volunteer, you will still get credit for uploading your notes if there is a student registered in the class.
- Once you have registered, you can begin uploading copies of your notes to the website.
- Students who provide notes on a consistent basis are eligible to receive a letter of recognition. To receive your letter of recognition please email notesharing@yorku.ca.
Peer Note-Sharer Responsibilities
Your notes must be clear, comprehensive, and accurately capture the information delivered in the lecture and written on the blackboard or overheads.
- Commit to sharing your notes for the full semester.
- Attend lectures regularly.
- Upload the lecture or tutorial notes within 48 hours on the note sharing support website, this helps the student you are volunteering for stay organized and decreases any anxiety they may have.
- To be eligible for the co-curricular credit, you must volunteer for the full semester or full year term.
- If the request for a note sharer comes to you halfway through the term, please upload notes from the beginning of the semester.
What a Peer Note sharer does not do
- DO NOT upload PowerPoint Slides – see Intellectual Property statement.
- Take verbatim or near-verbatim notes. As a note-sharer your role is not to transcribe the lecture word for word but to highlight the major points of a lecture or class session.
- Interpret the lecture for the student with a disability.
- Replace the student in the class. The note-sharing program is not a replacement for class attendance.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is of utmost importance for Student Accessibility Services. All peer note sharers must agree to our online confidentiality agreement prior to providing peer note sharing support through the Student Accessibility Services.
- If you know the identity of the student you are sharing notes with, it is imperative that you never disclose the student’s identity.
- The peer note sharer must contact the note-sharing support staff immediately if for some reason they cannot continue to take notes as arrangements will have to be made to obtain another peer note sharer for that class.
Intellectual Property
The Note Sharing program does not permit third-party copyright-protected content to be uploaded to the Note Sharing site. Only your personal notes may be shared. Some types of content should never be uploaded to the Note Sharing site. Examples would include any instructor-created materials such as lecture notes, PowerPoint presentations, course syllabi, quizzes, and lectures. You are reminded that copying or posting instructor-created materials, in most cases, would qualify as copyright infringement. Breaching these or other conditions governing the use of content in the Note Sharing program could constitute academic dishonesty and they could then face sanctions under York’s Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities and the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty.
Benefits of being a peer note sharer?
- Improve your own note-taking skills.
- Acquire transferable skills for future employment.
- Receive a letter of recognition for volunteering.
Who coordinates note-sharing support?
Note-sharing support is coordinated by staff in Student Accessibility Services - notesharing@yorku.ca
* Please note: Note Sharing Services staff cannot write letters of recommendation or, be verifiers on graduate applications.
Communication is the key to success
Who do I contact if any issues arise?
If you have any concerns regarding note sharing support contact the note sharing support staff immediately via email at notesharing@yorku.ca. It is important to resolve any concerns or issues as quickly as possible to ensure a positive experience.
Welcome to the Dean’s Scribe Program
What is the Dean’s Scribe Program?
The Dean’s Scribe Program is an accommodation support providing notes to students that are registered with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) who require access to information delivered in lectures and/or tutorials. The student/s requesting note sharing support will use your notes to supplement their own notes for study purposes.
How to become a Dean’s Scribe:
- Register Online using your Passport York Identification.
- Enter each course you will be able to volunteer for. Please note that there may not be a student that requires assistance in all of your courses.
- The student will select one person to be the primary volunteer, however, this is just a formality as the student has access to all notes that any Scribe uploads.
- Once you have registered, you can begin uploading copies of your notes to the website.
- Students who provide notes on a consistent basis will receive a letter of recognition from the Dean.
Dean’s Scribe Responsibilities
Your notes must be clear, comprehensive and accurately capture the information delivered in the lecture and written on the Zoom whiteboard or other interactive components of Zoom.
- Commit to sharing your notes for the full semester.
- Attend lectures regularly.
- Upload the lecture notes within 48 hours on the note sharing support website, this helps the student you are volunteering for stay organized and decreases any anxiety they may have.
- If the request for a Scribe notes comes to you half-way through the term, please upload notes from the beginning of the semester.
- The Scribe must contact Nicole Casey at ncasey@osgoode.yorku.ca if for some reason they cannot continue to take notes, as arrangements will have to made to obtain another scribe for that class.
What a Dean’s Scribe does not do:
- Take verbatim or near-verbatim notes.
- Interpret the lecture for the student with the disability.
- Replace the student in the class.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is of utmost importance for Student Accessibility Services. All Scribes must agree to our online confidentiality agreement prior to providing note sharing support.
If you know the identity of the student you are sharing notes with, it is imperative that you never disclose the student’s identity.
Intellectual Property
The Note Sharing program does not permit third-party copyright-protected content to be uploaded to the Note Sharing site. Only your personal notes may be shared. Some types of content should never be uploaded to the Note Sharing site. Examples would include any instructor-created materials such as lecture notes, PowerPoint presentations, course syllabi, quizzes, lectures. You are reminded that copying or posting instructor-created materials, in most cases, would qualify as copyright infringement. Breaching these or other conditions governing the use of content in the Note Sharing program could constitute academic dishonesty and that they could then face sanctions under the York’s Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities and the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty.
Benefits of being a Dean’s Scribe?
- Improve your own note taking skills.
- Acquire transferable skills for future employment.
- Receive a letter of recognition for volunteering.
Who coordinates the Dean’s Scribe Program support?
The Dean’s Scribe Program is coordinated by Nicole Casey, Programs and Records Coordinator.
Communication is the key to success
Who do I contact if any issues arise?
If you have any concerns regarding note sharing, please contact Nicole Casey at ncasey@osgoode.yorku.ca. It is important to resolve any concerns or issues as quickly as possible to ensure a positive experience.
