Weekly Bulletin

Federal tax withholding changes

Most campus employees are seeing a slight increase in their take-home pay this year after federal and state tax changes went into effect Jan. 1, according to the Division of Human Resources.

The Internal Revenue Service issued new inflation-adjusted federal tax brackets and raised the personal exemption from $2,900 to $3,000 for 2002. The amount of federal tax withheld from an employee's paycheck is based on the number of personal exemptions or allowances claimed on a W-4 form filed with Human Resources. In 2001, one personal exemption was worth $55.77 per week. For 2002, the amount equals $57.69.

Paychecks also reflect a rollback in the state income tax rate from 5.6 percent to 5.3 percent.

Questions about tax withholding should be directed to Brenda Libertine in the Payroll Office at 5-6123.

Institutional Research seeks graduate administrative intern

The Office of Institutional Research has an opening available for a graduate administrative intern to assist professional staff with the completion of questionnaires and analytical reports and help with a variety of special projects.

Duties include assisting in the compilation of data for higher education surveys, institutional data exchanges and other requests for information about the campus; collecting information from existing office resources, other campus offices or external sources; assisting in the preparation of summary tables, graphs and statistical reports; and maintaining and updating selected office databases.

Quantitative, technical, oral and written communication skills are important. The ideal candidate will have micro-computer experience with knowledge of spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel preferred), word processing and statistical software. Applicants should also be familiar with World Wide web software and search engines. A background in social sciences or higher education is desirable. Organizational skills, accuracy and attention to detail are also important.

The position involves 10 to 15 hours per week and includes a competitive stipend and tuition waiver.

Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. To apply, send resume and cover letter to Office of Institutional Research, 237 Whitmore.

Campus tour schedule

During the spring semester, the University Tour Service will conduct daily tours at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. except for the week of the spring recess, March 16-24.

The Tour Service will cease operation for the semester on Friday, May 24. No tours will be conducted on Commencement weekend, May 25-26, or Memorial Day, May 27.

During June and July, tours will be offered Monday through Friday only. Weekend tours will resume in August.

For additional information on spring semester tours, call 5-4237. Questions regarding summer tours should be directed to the Admissions Office at 5-0222.

Audiovisual auditorium training session

Academic Instructional Media Services (AIMS) is holding a training session on Friday, Jan. 25 to teach faculty and teaching assistants the proper use of the audiovisual equipment located in most of the large auditoriums on campus. The emphasis of these sessions will be video/data projection and laptop computer interfacing. The AV equipment racks are identical in function at most locations (with the exception of Mahar) so once instructors have learned how to use the equipment at one location they will be able to use the equipment at other auditoriums.

Training is scheduled for 10 a.m. in 102 Thompson Hall.

Faculty and their TAs are strongly encouraged to attend these training sessions. For information, contact Steve Pielock at 5-5768 or by e-mail (pielock@acad.umass.edu).

Employees needed for nutrition study

Classified employees are needed for a study about how people learn and respond to different nutrition-related cancer prevention messages. The research is under the direction of Elena Carbone, assistant professor of Nutrition. Data collected will only be used for academic research purposes.

Participants will find out what kind of learning style works best for them, learn about nutrition and cancer prevention, and receive a $20 gift certificate to Atkins Farm and two learner-tailored nutrition education messages to keep at the end of the study.

Participants will be asked to complete two telephone and one in-person interviews. The total time commitment is approximately one hour and 40 minutes. Participants must be full-time, classified Amherst campus employees who do not work for the School of Public Health and Health Sciences or any food service facility; be over 18 years old; have no personal history of cancer (staff with a family history of cancer are still eligible to participate); and be able to read and write English.

Sign up by e-mail (lmquinti@nutrition.umass.edu) and indicate the best method and time to be contacted.

Basketball and hockey on Sports Luncheon menu

Women's basketball coach Joanie O'Brien, men's basketball coach Steve Lappas and hockey Coach Don Cahoon will be the featured speakers at the Weekly Sports Luncheon on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at noon in 1009 Lincoln Campus Center.

The buffet lunch costs $6.50 per person. Call 5-4289 for reservations.

Volunteers needed for exercise study

The Exercise Science Department is looking for subjects to participate in a 10-day training study looking at the effects of exercise on carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Women between the ages of 18-39 who do not exercise but want to start, want to lose weight and don't smoke are eligible to participate.

Participants receive free fitness testing, a state-of-the-art bone density scan, nutritional analysis and body fat analysis. Spots are open in February, March and April.

Contact Steve at 665-0137 or by e-mail (sblack@excsci.umass.edu) to sign up.

Want to start an exercise program?

The Department of Exercise Science is conducting a short-term exercise training study. Non-smoking women between the ages of 18-45 who do not exercise regularly, but want to start, may qualify to participate in the study.

Participants will receive a bone density scan, body fat analysis, blood-sugar profile, fitness assessment, a week of monitored exercise training, and a customized long-term exercise program. Financial compensation of up to $75.

For information, contact Francesca by e-mail (flb@student.umass.edu).

Spring classes begin

The first day of classes for the spring 2002 semester is Tuesday, Jan. 29.

Jazz history workshop

Tom Reney, host of "Jazz a la Mode" on WFCR-FM, is offering a new session in his ongoing series "A Listener's Guide to Jazz History," beginning Feb. 24. The series of eight meetings is held at the Broadside Bookshop, 241 Main St., Northampton, on Sundays from 6-8:30 p.m. The cost of the workshop is $250-200 (sliding scale), and enrollment is limited to 12.

The workshop offers a survey of jazz history, highlighting its various styles and most important innovators, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Wynton Marsalis, placing their contributions within the musical and social context of their time. Each meeting features extensive listening and discussion around many of the classic recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD is used as a text.

Reney has been the jazz producer at WFCR since 1984. He has taught jazz history at the University and Holyoke Community College and lectured at Smith and Amherst colleges, and Clark University. He writes about jazz for the Boston Globe Magazine and Valley Advocate, and served as the jazz and popular music contributor to The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography and The Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia.

For information or to pre-register, call 586-1764.

Guidelines issued for distributing W-2 forms

W-2 forms for 2001 will be issued on Friday, Jan. 25, and should be personally handed out with the paychecks, according to the Division of Human Resources.

Employees should use care when opening W-2s and follow the instructions printed on the form to prevent tearing through the W-2 copies. The paper strips on the sides should be folded first, then removed along the perforations.

If employees are not available to receive their W-2s, several guidelines should be observed to comply with IRS instructions and to ensure that W-2 forms reach employees in good condition and in a timely manner. The guidelines are as follows:

Any W-2 that cannot be personally delivered to an employee or student employee should be placed in metered mail no later than Jan. 31.

Before mailing, verify that the W-2s have an address pre-printed on them. If there is no address and the information on file, the address can be typed on a label and affixed to the W-2. Otherwise, return the unaddressed W-2 to the Payroll Office, 325 Whitmore Administration Building. Do not write or type directly on the W-2.

A W-2 that's being forwarded to an address outside the United States, should be sent in a business-size envelope marked "Air Mail."

Employees who did not receive a W-2 or who need a duplicate from calendar year 2001 or a previous tax year, may request copies by e-mail
(hrequest@admin.umass.edu) or by contacting the Payroll Office by phone at 5-3761 or fax at 5-0483.

Some employees may receive more than one W-2 if a portion of their wages was subject to FICA/Medicare Tax. This scenario is common for student employees who are generally exempt from FICA for the academic year but non-exempt during the summer employment period.

Winter session grades due

Final grades for Winter Session should be submitted to the Continuing Education Registrar's Office by Wednesday, Jan. 30.

Final exam requirements

Departments should submit final examination requirements for spring 2002 to the Academic Scheduling Office by Friday, Feb. 1.

Fall course proposals and scheduling materials due

Departmental course proposals and scheduling materials for fall 2002 are due in the Academic Scheduling Office on Friday, Feb. 1.

Joint exam request deadline

The last day for departments to submit requests to the Academic Scheduling Office for clearance of joint evening examination dates for the spring semester is Friday, Feb. 1.