F.A.Q. for Note Takers

How do I sign up to be a note taker?

NEW NOTE TAKERS: If you have not taken notes before, you need to set up an account in DRC Online. View our tutorial for setting up an account as a new note taker.
CURRENT NOTE TAKERS: Sign up to take notes by logging into your DRC Online account. We have a tutorial on how to sign up if you're a returning note taker.

How much will I get paid for taking notes?

Note Takers are paid $25 per credit hour. For example, a 4 credit class could potentially result in a total payment of $100 while a 3 credit class would pay $75. If you do not take notes for the entire term, your pay will be prorated by the number of weeks provided. For example, if you upload notes for only 9 weeks of a 4 credit class you would be paid $90 for the term.

I’ve been selected to take notes in one of my courses. What do I do next?

You will receive an email offering you the assignment and explaining the next steps. Confirm your assignment by logging in to your account into DRC Online and navigating to your Note Taker tab.
As soon as you confirm your assignment, you will be able to begin uploading notes in DRC Online. See our tutorial on how to upload notes.

How do I know what week I'm supposed to start providing notes?

You are responsible for providing notes for lectures starting from the date that you confirm your assignment. If you are accepting an assignment after the first week of the term, you are not expected to have notes from previous weeks.
You may have personal notes from earlier in the term that you would like to share! On a case-by-case basis, we may be able to include these weeks in your payment. For more information, contact drcnotes@pdx.edu.

Why haven’t I been assigned as a note taker in my classes?

There are a couple of reasons why you might not be assigned as a note taker. Someone else may have signed up before you or the student may no longer need the service. The other reason you may not have been selected is that you’re in a cross-listed course (meaning the course is listed under two subjects, such as PSY and SOC). If you believe you are in a cross-listed course, please email Note Taking Services at drcnotes@pdx.edu and we will look into the issue.

I receive accommodations through the DRC. Can I still become a note taker?

Yes - as long as you are not eligible for note taking, breaks as needed, or flexibility in attendance as an accommodation, you can be a note taker! There is an additional step to sign up. Please email Note Taking Services at drcnotes@pdx.edu for more information.

What do I do if I have to miss class and can’t take notes?

You are still responsible for providing notes whenever possible in situations where you are ill or otherwise absent.. To arrange for a substitute note taker for the day/s in question, the DRC recommends connecting with another peer willing to share their notes and notify the DRC Access Services Coordinator in advance of the class you will miss. If a substitute takes notes on your behalf, they must email the notes to you and the DRC so that they can be uploaded in a timely manner.

If no substitute is arranged or available, your payment will be prorated for the day/s in question. Contact the DRC Note Taking Coordinator at drcnotes@pdx.edu for more information.

Am I responsible for uploading notes on non-lecture days (canceled classes, midterms, etc.)?

You are responsible for uploading notes for days where there is a lecture or a course-related activity during class time, including the instructor showing a movie for the entire class period, going on a field trip, or something similar. You will want to take notes on any relevant content covered during class. For days where there is no lecture or course-related activity, please upload a short document stating the situation into DRC Online as you would upload notes. (ex. “There was a midterm today, and no lecture”) This confirms that no notes are missing, and helps the DRC correctly calculate your payment at the end of the term.

What kind of documents can I upload?

To be accessible for all students, notes must be uploaded in Word, Excel, or PDF format. Notes can be typed or handwritten, and we recommend note takers choose whichever is most accessible for their own note taking styles.

Handwritten notes must be scanned; do not use a camera to photograph the notes as the resolution and image quality are not sufficient. There are scanners available for free use in the DRC, the Millar Library, and some campus computer labs. You can also use a free app such as “Scannable” to scan documents to PDF.

Watch Uploading Notes Tutorial

I can’t upload notes to DRC Online. What do I do?

First please check the size of the file you are uploading. Our system has a 5MB file limit for uploading notes. If the file is larger than 5MB here are a few tips:

Scan fewer pages at a time. (Please try to combine as many pages as possible to each file.)
Use Word, Excel, or PDF only. Do not upload picture files (such as JPEGs) or presentation files (such as PPT).
Make sure the documents are being scanned in black and white. Using color creates a larger file.
There are several programs that will shrink PDF files online such as Small PDF. You can also do a search on a search engine like Google for “pdf compression” to see other options.
If you still cannot upload notes, please email the file to drcnotes@pdx.edu so that we can assist you.

How do I get paid for taking notes?

In week 8 or 9 of the term, you will receive an email stating that your e-invoice is now available in DRC Online.

Once you have confirmed and signed this invoice, your payment will be processed through PSU Accounting as either a direct deposit or paper check. To view and update your direct deposit payment settings:

Log in to MyPSU and navigate to “Student Finances"
Select “Set Up Direct Deposit Refund”, which will open a new page
Confirm or modify your Direct Deposit Account
You may already have an account confirmed to receive “Student Refunds”.
You will need to also select “Reimbursements” and save the new settings.
If you do not have a direct deposit confirmed, your payment will be mailed as a paper check. To confirm your preferred mailing address for paper checks, log into Banweb and view your current listed address.
If you have any questions about your Note Taking payment, please contact Note Taking Services at drcnotes@pdx.edu.

I am no longer able to take notes and need to cancel my assignment. What do I do?

Please contact Note Taking Services at drcnotes@pdx.edu as soon as you realize you are unable to take notes any longer. We will cancel your assignment and recruit a new note taker. You will be paid a prorated amount for the weeks you uploaded notes. See also: How much will I get paid for taking notes?

I tried to sign up using my PSU login and it won't let me?

If you have tried to sign up as a note taker and our DRC Online system won't let you, please contact Note Taking Services at drcnotes@pdx.edu so that we can troubleshoot with you. It may be that you already have an account set up with the DRC and we will need to log you in differently.

If you have questions about the information on this page, please contact the Access Services Coordinator For Note Taking Services.

Access Services Coordinator
For Note Taking Services
Email: drcnotes@pdx.edu
Phone: 503-725-6504

Check our home page for hours more information.