Apply to Be a DSP Notetaker

Thank you for your interest in becoming a DSP Notetaker! The application process is only a few steps. If you have any questions please contact notes@sa.ucsb.edu.

  1. Complete the Notetaker Application through the DSP Portal and submit your availability to be a notetaker under 'Update Schedule'. You must do this at the beginning of each quarter if you wish to work for us. Notetakers are assigned on an as-needed basis.
    1. Please note: We aren't able to notify notetakers if they are not assigned due to the sheer volume of applications we receive. You will only be notified (by email) if you are assigned to a course.
  2. Attend a mandatory Zoom orientation. You will be emailed to schedule this when you have been assigned for the first time, so check your email frequently.
  3. Our Payroll Unit will then contact you with steps regarding the UC payroll system UC Path. For specific questions regarding this, please contact dsppayroll@sa.ucsb.edu.
  4. Abide by the Notetaking Responsibilities and Guidelines as stipulated below.

By submitting an application for employment for this position, the applicant authorizes the hiring agency to access their academic record for the purpose of confirming enrollment status and related eligibility for student employment. Employment is contingent on the ability to provide proper identification.

Notetaking Responsibilities & Guidelines

Welcome to the Disabled Students Program!

As a new DSP notetaker, please review the following information carefully to ensure that you are aware of the responsibilities you take on when you agree to volunteer as a note taker for a student with a disability.
 

Confidentiality

Please be aware that all students have the right to confidentiality regarding their disability. When appropriate, inform the professor of your role, but please be discrete. Identify yourself as a DSP notetaker. DO NOT disclose your student(s) name to ANYONE who is not a DSP staff member!

Communication

Establish an open line of communication between you and the student(s). At the beginning of your assignment, you should initiate communication with your student(s) by uploading a document introducing yourself, providing contact information, and describing the structure of the course and when students can expect notes to be uploaded. Uploading a document to the Services Portal allows anonymous students to receive this information without you needing to contact them directly.

If you email your students, please remember to blind copy (Bcc) or email students individually; they should not be able to see each other's names. Knowing a student's preferences and limitations may be beneficial for notetaking, but please do not ask them to disclose their specific disability. If there should be a problem communicating with a student, or if you have concerns, please call the DSP office for assistance at (805) 893-2668 or email notes@sa.ucsb.edu.

Notetaking

  • Be certain all notes are legible, clearly stated, and accurate, and thorough.
  • If you disagree with the instructor on a point in a lecture, remember to keep any biases out of the notes.
  • Mark salient points of the lecture with stars, underlining, or large letters.
  • Please define any and all abbreviations by distributing a key of commonly used abbreviations to your students.
  • You may not upload PowerPoint slides without any additional notes. You must provide notes on the information the instructor shares verbally in addition to the materials included on the PowerPoint. If submitting PowerPoints with annotations, make sure that your annotations are visible, legible, and easily distinguished from the materials already on the slide.
  • You may scan handwritten notes using a personal scanning app. When scanning, please make sure that there is no page curling, print that is too light after being scanned, that the scan is not blurry, and that there is no writing cropped out.
  • Uploaded notes should be labeled clearly with the week of the quarter, the lecture number, and the date of the lecture. EX: "Week 2, Lecture 4. Oct. 7, 2021."
  • Please also include any class announcements in your notes. 
  • You are not responsible for collecting class handouts for your student. That is their responsibility.
  • You are only responsible for lecture notes. Do not provide your notes from your discussion section unless we have informed you otherwise. Students are approved separately for section notes, and notetakers are assigned specifically to these sections as needed
  • You must upload the notes no later than 24 hours after each class (excluding weekends and University holidays). If your instructor uploads asynchronous recorded lectures, you must upload notes within 24 hours of the lecture being uploaded.

Add / Drop Changes

Please make sure to make to update your schedule in the DSP Portal when adding or dropping classes. To drop an assignment, uncheck the assignment then click save. Immediately email notes@sa.ucsb.edu to notify us of the dropped class.

Absences

In cases of illness or emergencies, please contact both the DSP Office and your students to provide notice of your absence. It is your responsibility to obtain notes for the day you miss. You may reach out to other students in your class, your TAs, and/or your instructor; every effort must be made to obtain notes for your DSP students.

Questions About Notetaking

Please don't hesitate to reach out to us at any time. For questions and concerns, please contact us at notes@sa.ucsb.edu.

Notetaker Paperwork and Payment

All DSP notetakers must attend notetaker orientation. It is the notetakers responsibility to ensure that all the necessary forms have been signed and completed. You will be required to submit two forms of government-issued IDs (examples: Driver's License, Passport, Birth Cert. Social Security Card, etc.) if this is your first job on campus, so please make sure you have those readily available. Failure to complete the listed requirements is grounds for removal from the assignment.

You must submit your "Electronic Signature" within each assignment in the DSP Portal. You may do this at any point during the quarter, but it MUST be done by the end of the quarter for you to be paid on time.

You will receive a stipend of $25 per unit at the end of the quarter. This amount may be prorated based on the actual number of weeks that you provide notes and/or the quality of your notes.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE!