Key takeaways:
- Saving $250,000 a year: University of California, Berkeley made the shift to Genio Notes and reduced their peer notetaker headcount from 406 to just 99, saving $250,000 a year.
- Supporting student agency: The decision to switch to Genio Notes was driven by giving students ownership over how they learn. Beginning with 25 Genio Notes licenses over the summer term, made the transition evidence-backed before scaling.
- Less anxiety, stronger engagement: Students reported feeling less overwhelmed in lectures and more confident in their academics since switching to Genio Notes.
- Finding the right balance: Technology-based note taking support hasn’t replaced peer notetakers entirely, but it directs the right resources to the students who need them the most.
In a recent webinar hosted by Genio, Christian Yee, Auxiliary Services Supervisor at University of California, Berkeley shared how switching from a peer notetaker program to Genio Notes saved the institution $250,000 annually.
Prior to the switch, a student would be assessed, a peer notetaker would be assigned, and the department would spend significant time and energy in coordinating that match.
The peer note taking model, however well-intentioned, was built around filling a gap rather than building a skill. And, as the number of students registered with disabilities continued to rise, that model was becoming harder to sustain. University of California, Berkeley needed a solution that could scale student support without increasing administrative burden and put students back in control of their own learning.
By introducing Genio Notes, the University of California, Berkeley, reduced its peer notetaker headcount by 76% in under two years, saving $250,000 annually and giving students more confidence, independence, and ownership over their learning.
Why is student independence so important in note taking accommodations?
The peer note taking model has served students for many years and played an important role in higher education, but there's a growing case for why it needs to change. When someone else captures the lecture, the student reads it back later, and the loop closes without them ever having to engage actively with the material. The cognitive work that makes note taking valuable never happens.
Independent note taking shifts who is in control of the learning experience. When a student chooses when to record, what to bookmark and how to interact with a transcript, they are proactively participating and building the kind of self-efficacy and academic confidence that follows them far beyond the classroom. This is what Genio Notes empowers learners to achieve.
"Now they can choose when they want to record, when they don't want to record, what they want to do with their slides. They're back in the driver's seat." - Christian Yee, Auxiliary Services Supervisor at University of California Berkeley
The practical impact shows up in the classroom. Students who were previously spending lectures typing to create their own transcripts, or straining to capture every word at the expense of actually listening, can now sit back, engage with their instructor, and trust that the content is being captured for them to review during their study sessions.
To read more about how Genio Notes is transforming the college student experience click here.
How can colleges transition from peer notetakers to technology based note taking support?
University of California, Berkeley started with a pilot of 25 Genio Notes licenses, run over a three month summer term. Students already using audio recording accommodations were invited to try Genio Notes. Feedback was gathered, confidence was built, and by the following Fall, the department had scaled to 50 licenses.
From there, disability specialists referred new registrants directly to Genio Notes. Existing students frustrated with inconsistent peer note taking were offered the option to switch.
“Being more confident in my notes because of Genio Notes, allows me to thus be more confident in my studying. I am more sure of my notes, and therefore am more sure of myself when reviewing these notes.” - Autumn, Student at University of California,Berkeley
“Genio Notes helps me study more effectively because I can capture the full lecture and then review it in a structured way instead of relying on rushed notes.” - Parshv, Student at University of California,Berkeley
To learn more about Genio Notes’ impact on student outcomes, click here.
How much can Disability Services departments save by replacing peer notetakers with Genio Notes?
In Spring 2024, University of California, Berkeley was still running 406 peer notetakers across campus. By Fall 2025, that number had dropped to 99, thanks to Genio Notes. The department now records approximately 4,000 classes per semester and students have logged tens of thousands of hours of recordings since the program began.
The financial impact has been equally stark. Peer note taking, when you factor in recruitment, coordination, monitoring, and employment administration, costs roughly four times more than Genio Notes. The savings at University of California, Berkeley amount to approximately $250,000 annually.
Freed from the administrative weight of coordinating hundreds of notetaker assignments, Christian’s team can spend more time on the students who genuinely need intensive, individualized support.
"Peer notes still have a place. There are students who physically cannot engage in this process themselves. The goal isn't to remove peer notetakers. It's to make sure we're using the right tool for the right student." - Christian Yee, Auxiliary Services Supervisor at University of California, Berkeley
To learn more about how streamlined accommodations can improve student outcomes and reduce admin time for accessibility teams, click here.
How can departments collaborate with faculty for AI note taking and lecture recording tools?
Proactive collaboration with faculty on the topics of recording and AI in the classroom is highly valuable, and having clear guidance in place helps build trust and confidence early on. University of California, Berkeley approached this proactively by establishing clear communication and expectations from the outset.
Working with the institution's policy analysts, Christian's team developed clear guidance for faculty on how the accommodation works, what data is captured, how it is stored, and what AI does and does not do within the platform.
Genio Notes does not use student data to train AI models. The recordings belong to the student. For institutions that don't yet have a formal audio recording policy or an AI use policy in place, these conversations are worth having proactively.
To learn more about Genio’s AI policy, click here.
What does sustainable note taking accommodation delivery look like for growing Disability Services teams?
University of California, Berkeley's experience points to something broader. As Disability Services teams face rising registration numbers, tighter budgets, and growing expectations, they need to focus on how to build a model of accommodation that is sustainable, scalable, and centered on the learner's development.
Evidence-backed note taking tools like Genio Notes do something peer note taking never quite managed. It makes the student a proactive participant in their own learning rather than the recipient of someone else's interpretation of a lecture.
Genio Notes also generates data using an array of admin features that helps Disability Services teams understand how students are engaging and where they might need more support, freeing up human capacity.
For Christian and the University of California, Berkeley’s team, the journey that started with 25 licenses has become a model for what modern accommodation delivery can look like, built around independence, backed by evidence, and scaled without sacrificing quality.
Ready to give your students the independence and confidence that comes with owning their own note taking?
Book a demo and see Genio Notes in action.
