University of Minnesota, Crookston
UMC WEEKLY BULLETIN

Vol. 17, No. 16, January 8, 1998

STUDENT SUCCESS FAIR
The annual "Student Success Fair" is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Sahlstrom Conference Center entrance. The theme this year is "Clueless." The purpose of the success fair is to promote a variety of resources (academic, personal, social, financial) that are available to students and that would enhance student success.
--Laurie Wilson

A BOOK, A DINNER, A MOVIE
"A Book, A Dinner, A Movie" will be offered through Continuing Education on Tuesdays, January 13 through March 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. at UMC. The course takes a look at the power and artistry of the kitchen. Novels (Like Water for Chocolate by Esquivel, Fried Green Tomatoes by Flagg, and Heartburn by Ephron), short stories ("Babette's Feast" by Dinesen and other stories), and articles will be used as reading material. Participants will compare the written versions to the movie inspired by these works. The group will tap into their own recipe files and cookbooks as places to find the voices and cultures of families and friends. "We may even produce a "course cookbook" of our own!"
--Traci Kelly

AMBASSADORS PENNY DRIVE
UMC students, faculty and staff contributed $367.76 to the Holiday Penny Drive sponsored by the UMC Student Ambassadors. Our goal was to "beat" last year's Penny Drive collection of $168.00, and the campus contributions more than doubled! All but $52.00 of this came from the residence hall students. Sr. Justina was thrilled with the gift which was delivered by students to the Care and Share Center on December 18^th. Start saving those coins for next year!

Thank you to everyone who contributed from the UMC Student Ambassadors.
--Laurie Wilson

GRADUATE LEVEL TUITION BENEFITS
Tuition benefits provided to UMC employees for graduate level courses through the Academic Staff Tuition Benefit Program, Regents' Scholarship Program, and the Professional Development Fund are impacted by Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code. The University of Minnesota is required to withhold income tax, Social Security tax, state income tax, and Minnesota State Retirement System contributions (if applicable) on the value of graduate level tuition benefits provided to employees on or after January 1, 1995. W-2 Forms issued at year end will include both the value of University graduate level tuition benefits provided as taxable compensation and the amount withheld for this purpose. The value of certain graduate level courses included in an employee's gross income may qualify as "related to your job" and be considered tax deductible under other rules in the Internal Revenue Code. Generally, when an employer includes the entire value of a non-cash fringe benefit in an employee's gross income, any related employee business deduction is treated as a miscellaneous itemized deduction in determining taxable income, subject to the 2 percent of adjusted gross income limitation. Employees are encouraged to consult with their tax advisor for technical assistance and advice.
--Les Johnson

UMC INSIGHT
UMC Insight will be aired Saturday, January 10, at 8:45 a.m. on KROX (AM 1260). Tune in this week to hear "A Book, A Dinner, A Movie" with Traci Kelly.

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