DSP Note-Takers: Application & Information
Are you interested in being paid to take notes in courses that you are already taking?
Receive a payment of $40 per lecture unit for providing notes for an entire semester (discussions and labs are a flat rate of $40). You must be currently enrolled in the class. To apply as a note taker, please fill out the Notetaker Application [pdf], print and sign your completed application and attach one page of sample notes from any class (preferably from a class with similar subject matter to the class(es) for which you want to take notes). Please submit notes in the format in which you will be taking them (typed or handwritten). Copies of handwritten notes can be made in the DSP office, open Monday through Friday 8-12 and 12-5. Bring both documents to the DSP office, 260 Cesar Chavez Student Center.
Below is a list of frequently asked questions. If you have other questions, feel free to email DSP's Notetaking Staff at dspnotes@berkeley.edu. When referring to a class, always include its CCN.
Compensation:
Note-takers receive a pay of $40 per unit for providing notes for an entire semester - for example, if you are taking notes for a 3-unit class, the payment would be $120 for the semester. (Labs and discussion sections are a flat rate of $40 for an entire semester.) Compensation will be prorated if notes are provided for only part of the semester. Payments will be processed after the end of the semester. If you have another job at UC Berkeley, your payment from DSP will be included in your regular paycheck. If you do not have another campus job, you will receive a payment from DSP either through Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) or through receiving a paper check in the mail. You may sign up for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) at https://eftstudent.berkeley.edu/. If you are not signed up for EFT make sure to keep your mailing address updated on your BearFacts account so that the paper check is mailed to your current location. (Checks cannot be picked up at the DSP office.)
Eligibility:
- You must be currently enrolled in the course in which you wish to take notes
- You must be eligible to work in the U.S.
- Freshmen are welcome to apply - if you do not have a Berkeley GPA just write your high school GPA on the application with a small note that it is from high school
- Graduate students are also encouraged to apply
- We prefer typed notes unless the course material works better with handwritten notes
Expectations for notes:
While you are not asked to provide a word-for-word transcript of the class, notes should be comprehensive and well-organized. If handwriting your notes, you must write very legibly in pen, and be willing to re-copy your notes when necessary. Notes are not required to be in outline format, but must be easy to follow. You are only responsible for providing notes for the specified class(es) for which you are hired. If asked to perform other duties (i.e. assisting with homework or other class assignments), please feel free to let us know by emailing us at dspnotes@berkeley.edu.
Duties as a note-taker:
- 48-Hour deadline: Notes must be uploaded to a DSP bSpace site or delivered to the DSP office within 48 hours of the conclusion of each class.
- Starting date of providing notes: You are not required to provide notes from before the date you are hired, but it is greatly appreciated by DSP students if you are willing to do so.
- Register promptly to become the note-taker: If chosen, you will receive an email from DSP's Notes Staff with instructions on how to register as the note-taker. An Authorization Form will be attached, and this form will contain unique codes that you will need to register as the note-taker online. You must register online to be paid for providing notes.
Mode of delivery & confidentiality:
Note-takers provide notes by uploading them to a bSpace site or making copies at the DSP office; notes are not emailed to students in order to protect their confidentiality. If a DSP student for whom you are taking notes decides to introduce him/ herself to you, the identity of the student must be kept confidential.
What to do if you can't find the DSP tab for your course on bSpace:
If you are unable to find the tab on bSpace for the course you are taking notes for or for another class you are enrolled in this semester, login to bSpace and go to "My Workspace." Under "My Workspace," click on "Preferences" and increase the number of tabs shown to however many tabs you desire. This should result in all of the tabs for the designated semester appearing at the top of your bSpace.
Class anomalies:
If you are absent from class, you are still responsible for providing notes from that class meeting (either by asking a fellow friend or a GSI). Not doing so will result in decreased pay and/or termination. Please email dspnotes@berkeley.edu if you are absent, if there is an exam, or for any other reason notes will not be provided for that class meeting.
Schedule changes:
You must notify DSP immediately if you drop a class for which you are providing notes. We will notify you immediately if the DSP student for whom you are taking notes drops the course; please be aware that you may be asked to stop taking notes at any time during the semester due to enrollment changes. Note-takers receive partial / prorated payment for providing notes for part of the semester.
Release of your information:
DSP will release your name and email address to the student(s) you are serving and the students will be able to contact you. Additionally, after completing the registration process your courses will be visible to DSP Notes Staff and we may email you to ask you if you would like to take notes for additional courses.
What to do if you cannot locate your payment:
If you have another job at UC Berkeley, check your earnings statements. For Fall 2012 payments, check your January 2013 earnings statement. The payment will not be labeled "DSP" but the amount will be there as a separate entity from your regular earnings. If you are not a campus employee, please check all possible bank accounts that may be associated with EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer). You may want to check in with your parents if EFT payments (for example from the Financial Aid office) are set up to go to their account. If you did not sign up for EFT, a paper check would have been mailed to the address listed on BearFacts. Please check this address. If you no longer have access to the mail at that address, you will need to contact us and we will ask the payroll office to issue another check. Please keep in mind that you cannot pick up your payment directly from DSP; DSP does not issue the payments directly. If you are still unable to locate your payment, please email us at dspnotes@berkeley.edu with the following information: Full name, CCN of the class(es) for which you took notes, whether or not you have another job at UC Berkeley, and your current mailing address.