How students can apply for a notetaking accomodation Students found to be eligible for a notetaking accommodation should:
1. Submit their class schedule to the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at the beginning of each semester to receive their Access Plan documenting their accommodations:
. Meet with their faculty members to share and discuss their Access Plan.
. Communicate directly with faculty to arrange for Instructor Slides and Overheads in Advance of Class.
. Make an appointment with ODS to receive instructions for using a Smart Pen.
2. Respond promptly to the ODS Notetaking
Team’s email request for information about the Volunteer Notetaker Accommodation. Doing so will allow the Notetaking Team to contact respective faculty members and request their help in locating a Volunteer Note Taker.
Watch for information via email about how supplemental notes will be received. Inform ODS of any changes to their class schedule or need for note taking assistance.
Planning for your student’s accomodations When faculty members are approached by students seeking slides and overheads in advance of class or indicating use of assistive technology, they should . . .
1. Expect the student to provide a personal Access Plan outlining the accommodation.
2.Communicate directly with the student to implement the accommodation. 3.Contact ODS if questions or concerns arise.
When faculty members learn (via email from ODS) of students eligible to receive notetaking assistance through a volunteer note taker, they should:
. print the Volunteer Sign-Up Form attached to the email.
. make a brief announcement in class about the need for a volunteer note taker.
. NOT reveal the name of the student eligible to receive the note taking assistance.
. encourage students to consider serving as
a volunteer note taker by highlighting the responsibilities and benefits (on the Sign-Up Form).
. return the Volunteer Sign-Up Form to ODS
by scanning and emailing it to notes@jmu. edu or by faxing it to 8-7099.
. expect the student to provide a personal
Access Plan outlining the accommodation
. contact ODS if questions or concerns arise.
Through such collaborative efforts, faculty members help the Office of Disability Services to better serve the students of James Madison University and create a more accessible learning community.
Serving as a volunteer notetaker Students will learn of opportunities to serve as a Volunteer Notetaker when a Professor has been notified by the Office of Disability Services that a student in the class is eligible for the Volunteer Notetaker Accommodation and makes an announcement encouraging interested students to sign-up and assist. Once located, volunteers are contacted by ODS and given specific instructions about the method they selected for sharing their notes. They may have chosen to use a Carbonless Notebook and deliver copies of their notes to ODS or to scan and email their notes to notedrop@jmu.edu. Regardless of the method, the volunteer and student receiving the notes remain anonymous in the process. In addition to the good feeling that comes from participating, volunteers receive an invitation to an Appreciation Open House at the end of the semester, are awarded a JMU Bookstore Coupon for 20% off their next text book order, and can enter into a weekly raffle when they turn in their notes.