Facebook pixel Note-Taking Services | Student Accessibility | Pepperdine University Skip to main content
Pepperdine University

Note-Taking Accommodation

Note-taking is an important accommodation provided by Pepperdine University.  Students in a class can provide access to notes for class lectures to students with this accommodation. 

Students Requesting Notes

Submit a Semester Request letting OSA know the classes for which you are requesting notetakers.

You will access your notes through Wavenet. The notes are available as soon as the notetaker uploads them. It is your responsibility to contact the Office of Student Accessibility if you are not receiving notes in a timely manner.

Notetaker recruiting and hiring will begin upon receipt of Semester Request. Please note that the process can take up to two weeks. Notetaker specific questions may be sent to the Notetaker Coordinator, at notetakers@pepperdine.edu.

When an OSA student completes a Semester Request regarding notetakers and indicates a class/es in which the student would like a notetaker, the following process will take place:

  1. OSA will reach out to all students in the specific class/es to seek a student with a sufficient GPA (3.0 for Seaver College) who is willing to be contracted to share the course notes.
    • Initial recruitment attempt: within 3 business days of receipt of the Semester Request, but no earlier two weeks before the class begins.
    • Second recruitment attempt: after 3 business days.
  2. If OSA is not successful in securing a contracted notetaker 2 business days after the second recruitment email to the class, OSA will reach out to the professor for:
    • Professor's recommendation of a notetaker
    • Professor's powerpoints or class notes
  3. If, within 3 business days of reaching out to the Professor, there are no notes secured (from a student in the class or the Professor), OSA will hire a notetaker specialist through Student Employment.

How to Access Notes


Please note that students cannot access notes unless a note taker has been assigned to their class and they have met the following requirements:

  • Student is approved for the use of a class notetaker
  • Student has completed a Semester Request for the current term with the requested class included

Instructions

  1. Log in to Wavenet
  2. Navigate to the Resources tab
  3. Choose Accommodate Student
  4. Accommodations Home Page will appear where students should select the Notetaker Network on the left-hand side navigation
  5. A complete list of uploaded notes will appear
    • Students may sort the notes using the box on the right-hand side of the page
    • It is best to type in the class code (e.g. COM 300) and the section number should appear in a drop-down menu
    • Students may also need to use the Next button on the right-hand side to navigate to additional pages of notes

View these instructions on video

View these instructions with pictures

Students Who Are Notetakers

 


Students who are interested in serving as a notetaker should wait to receive a recruitment email from Student Accessibility regarding the need for a notetaker in a specific class. 

For those who have been hired as a notetaker, see information below for guides to the note-taking as well as the hiring process. Please direct specific questions to: notetakers@pepperdine.edu.

View video instructions on becoming a notetaker

View video instructions on how to upload notes

 

 Guidelines to Take Notes

Notetakers should begin taking and turning in notes from the first day of class moving forward.

General Guidelines

  • Submit notes within 24 hours of the class meeting
  • Notetakers who are unable to attend class should ask for notes from another student in the class
  • Label notes with the date, course name, and professor
  • Explain (in the first set of notes) any symbols or abbreviations used
  • Above all, convey the message and content of information as clearly as possible in the way it was intended
  • Include any changes to the course syllabus

Formatting Notes

Notes should be in the form of a PDF or Word document

If the electronic file for a set of notes is too large for the portal to upload, please upload in clearly labeled parts

Typed Notes

  • Type in a Word document with 11-12pt font

Handwritten Notes

  • Handwriting must be clear and legible
  • Write on only one side of each page
  • See Resources for Scanning your Notes to find appropriate means of scanning

The Submission Process (Notetaker Drop-Off Portal)

All notes will be uploaded on the Notetaker Drop-Off Portal

Notetakers will be prompted to enter two pieces of information:

  1. Username: this is the student's Network ID; the username used to access Wavenet (e.g. jjsmith)
  2. Course: this is the course name comprised of the code and section number (e.g. COM 300 05)

This information will be listed on the selection email the student receives upon assignment as a notetaker

It is best to enter the class code (COM 300) and wait for the section number (05) to appear in a drop-down menu

 Resources for Scanning Notes

Scanning Handwritten Notes

All notes must be uploaded on the Notetaker Drop-Off Portal

Scanner Applications

First, notetakers may want to try a PDF scanner application on their smartphone. Scanner applications will convert photos to PDFs that can be saved and uploaded on the Notetaker Drop-Off Portal.

Some options that note takers might consider:

  • Genius Scan
  • Tiny Scan
  • Campus Copiers
  • Note-takers may also access scanners on campus. All copiers are similar, though there may be slight differences in the machine depending on location and campus.

General Guidelines to Scanning

  • Swipe ID card on the machine (may need to log in using email and Wavenet password)
  • Select Device Functions
  • Select Scan
  • Choose Scan email to me on right-hand side of the screen
  • Lift the cover of the machine and align the first page of notes on the copier glass (face down) in the upper left-hand corner
  • Press the Start button to scan the page (repeat this process for each additional page of notes)
  • Once all notes have been scanned, select Read End and the machine will beep when it is finished and send the document to the notetaker's Pepperdine email

Copier Locations

Seaver College: Copiers are located on the main level of Payson Library, the Sandbar, the second floor of the Center for Communication and Business, and the Office of Student Accessibility

School of Law: Copiers are located in the Harnish Law Library

All other campuses: Please check the library or front desk for information

 Submit Notes through the Notetaker Portal

All notes will be uploaded on the Notetaker Drop-Off Portal

Note-takers will be prompted to enter two pieces of information:

  1. Username: this is the student's Network ID; the username used to access Wavenet (e.g. jjsmith)
  2. Course: this is the course name comprised of the code and section number (e.g. COM 300 05)

This information will be listed on the selection email the student receives upon assignment as a note taker.

It is best to enter the class code (COM 300) and wait for the section number (05) to appear in a drop down menu.

 Payment Paperwork to be Hired as a Notetaker

Payments for notes are made in the form of a check in the mail to the address provided on the W-9 form, or by electronic transfer. Notetakers should choose the address where they will be residing 2-3 weeks after the end of the current term.

Notetakers are considered vendors, and as such, must complete two pieces of paperwork (W-9 and Contract) in order to receive payment. These forms will be sent to the notetaker via Pepperdine eSign Portal (echosign@pepperdine.edu).

W-9

Please note that a W-9 is distinct from an I-9, which students may have completed with Student Employment. The university completes payment for notes through a different payment process for vendors and so requires different paperwork.

The following information should be provided on the W-9:

  1. Name (must match the full legal name on notetaker's bank account)
  2. Check the appropriate box for federal tax classification: Individual/Sole Proprietor
  3. Address (city, state, and zip code): this will be the location to which payment is sent
    • Address need only be entered once
    • Please note that notetakers who list their campus address must include their mailbox number
  4. Social Security Number: the university cannot process payment without this information

Employer identification number can be left blank.

Contract

  1. Notetakers will receive an email with the subject "Etrieve Flow Notification" with a link that says "Click here"
  2. The document will have blanks with an asterisk that prompt the notetaker to provide relevant information
    • Class code and section should be in the format noted on the contract
    • Class meeting times should be in military time
    • Note-takers may click on the unit number and a drop-down menu with options will appear
    • Students may check the class code, section, and unit number in Wavenet
  3. The document will prompt the notetaker to review and initial the contract
  4. Once the note-taker has signed the contract, notetakers should select "Click to Sign"
  5. The message "You have successfully signed the agreement" should appear