Office of Student Life
Disability Services

Peer Notetaker Instructions

To Disability Services (SLDS) peer notetakers:

Thank you! We appreciate your willingness to volunteer and provide a copy of your notes to a SLDS-registered student. Your assistance helps the University provide equitable access to education for all students. Compensation or volunteer certificate options are available to you for your service. Please review the following instructions carefully to ensure accurate registration completion, consistent delivery of notes, and timely disbursement of your stipend or volunteer certificate. 

Register as a Peer Notetaker

  1. Register as a Peer Notetaker in AIM. 
    • Note: If you are already a student registered with SLDS, this link will not work. Instead, email slds-notes@osu.edu with your name and course information to register. 
  2. Request a Notetaking Assignment in AIM. 
    • Click on the Notetaker tab. 
    • From the Notetaker dashboard, scroll down to the Request a Notetaking Assignment box and enter the CRN for the course(s) for which you intend to provide notes in the boxes.  
      • Note: You can find the CRN on your Class Schedule in BuckeyeLink. If you cannot locate your CRN, please email slds-notes@osu.edu with your course name & number and instructor’s name. 
    • Click on Continue to Verify Your Courses. 
    • From the drop-down menu on the right, select your preferred method of compensation (Volunteer Hours, Stipend, or No Compensation). 
    • Click on Submit Your Class Schedule. 
      • Note: You will receive confirmation once your application has been processed, and you may begin uploading notes at this time. 
  3. Schedule and attend a meeting with SLDS staff to review and complete all necessary documentation. This must be done every semester that you are providing notetaking services. Peer Notetakers cannot be compensated if their paperwork is incomplete or completed incorrectly. 

Uploading Notes

  1. Log into AIM.  
  2. Click on the Notetaker tab. 
  3. Click on Upload and View Notes. 
  4. Select the course and week of notes that corresponds with what you are uploading. 
  5. Select the date the notes were taken. 
  6. Select the note file from your device and click on Upload Notes. 
    • Note: The system will notify you when the upload is complete. 

Peer Notetaker Responsibilities

  • Deliver notes in a timely manner.
    • Typically, notes should be delivered by the following class period of within 48 hours.
  • Attend class regularly and keep in communication.  
    • If you are absent from a class, coordinate with the instructor or another classmate to obtain a copy of the notes. As the Peer Notetaker, you are still responsible for providing notes for that day. 
    • Communicate with your instructor and SLDS if you have any questions/concerns, or if there are any changes in your arrangement (e.g. you drop the course, services are not needed anymore).  

  • Take legible, good quality notes. 
    • For tips on effective notetaking strategies, visit the Dennis Leaning Center’s Active Note-Taking Strategies page. 
    • Consider how you intend to provide notes and what steps you can take to make the process as smooth as possible for yourself and your peer. For example, consider typing your notes, or writing on loose leaf paper as opposed to notebook paper. 

  • Maintain Confidentiality
    • You may not reveal any identifying information (e.g. name, disability) about the student(s) receiving your notes without their explicit permission.  

Compensation

We will provide either (1) a stipend of $25 per credit hour or (2) a certificate of volunteering upon satisfactory completion of notetaking assistance. This compensation can be awarded only once for each course for which you are providing notes. Your compensation is based on the credit hours of the course and stays the same regardless of the number of students for whom you are providing notes. Failure to meet your responsibilities as a notetaker may result in forfeiture of compensation. The deadline for completing and submitting forms for peer notetaking compensation in the Autumn 2024 semester is Friday, November 15, 2024 at 11:29pm. 

  • If you are currently a student employee, you will be paid via direct deposit approximately 4-6 weeks after the end of the semester. Please note that your stipend will be the amount of compensation after taxes and will be added to the payment for your current student employee position.
  • If you are NOT currently a student employee, you will be paid via direct deposit/eft or check. We highly encourage you to complete the direct deposit form for more efficient payment. If you choose to paid by check,please note it can take up to 90 days to receive the paper check by mail to your permanent address after the end of the semester.
  •  Regular faculty or staff are not eligible to receive the stipend.

IMPORTANT: To be eligible to receive a stipend payment, notetakers are required to complete and submit additional documentation described in the sections below. Stipend payments cannot be processed without the required documentation.

To Receive a Certificate of Volunteering:

  1. Complete a Notetaker Request Form, indicating that you are requesting volunteer hours. Submit this form to slds@osu.edu or drop it off in-person at the SLDS office. 
    • Note: An electronic signature on this form can be accepted. 
  2. We will email you a certificate confirming your volunteer hours within 2-4 weeks after the semester has ended. 

To Receive a Stipend:

  1. Schedule a meeting with SLDS staff to review and complete all necessary documentation to ensure payment. This must be done every semester that you are a peer notetaker.
  2. Complete a Notetaker Request Form, indicating that you are requesting a stipend.
  3. Complete a New Vendor Setup Form. If you are a current student employee, and you will continue to be a student employee through the end of the semester, you do not need to complete this form.
    • Note: A wet signature (i.e. pen-on-paper) is required, and an electronic signature cannot be accepted. 
  4. Complete an OPERS Independent Contractor/Worker Acknowledgement. If you are a current student employee, and you will continue to be a student employee through the end of the semester, you do not need to complete this form.
    • Note: An electronic signature on this form can be accepted. 
  5. To be paid via direct deposit, you must also submit a voided check or bank letter confirming routing and account numbers. This form requires a signature from a banker.
  6. Non-citizens must also complete and submit a W-8BEN form along with a copy of your passport and visa. Once this information is entered into the system, you will receive an email from support@online-tax.net giving you access to log-on and complete a questionnaire. If the requested information is not provided within 15 days, the maximum amount of US tax will be withheld from any US income paid to you.