Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / May 26, 1980, edition 1 / Page 1
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Ike. Ccvu^iJMb QowwolL Volume XVI, Number 1 The Student Newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina Monday, May 26, 1980 New College; Division In Changes Made Photo by Debbie Miller Its all grins for UNCC’s new alumni as a group of Business Administration majors wait on the rest of their class to file in the Charlotte Coliseum. This year’s speaker was Buck Rodgers, vice president of marketing for IBM. Student Stipends No Longer Tax Free By David E. Griffith As of April 30 all stipends paid to students out of Student Activity Fees accounts will be regarded as wage an will be taxable, says a memo from University Controller Nancy Roberts to the Student Activity Fees Com mission (SAFC). The memo cites Internal Revenue Code, “Any amount paid or allowed an individual to enable him to pursue studies or research is taxable income if the amount represents compensa tion for past, present, or future employment services or payment for services subject' to the direction or supervision of the grantor.” The memo continues saying, “ Scholarship/fellowship grants are excludable from gross income and thus exempt from taxation provided all five of the following tests apply: (1) the recipient must be a candidate for a degree, (2) the services performed must satisfy the stated requirements of the degree; (3) these requriements must be reasonably appropriate to the degree; (4) the services performed are not in excess of these re quirements; and (5) equivalent ser vices are required of every require ment for that degree whether or not compensated.” It is quite clear that this will remove all possibility of non-taxable student stipend, but it is not quite so clear as to how else it will effect stu dent organizations. This is evident in the last part of the memo which says all student organizations will pay their staff through the student payroll, on the basis of hours worked and an hourly wage. To do this, each organization will submit time cards at the first of each month to the payroll office. Any full time students are exempt from Social Security taxes and the matching payroll taxes the organization would otherwise have to cough up. All employees will have to fill out W-4 forms, NC-4 forms, and loyalty oaths at the financial aid office. Although these wages are taxable, whether or not the individual student will have taxes withheld will depend upon the student’s total income and previous year’s liability. Roberts said she saw no alter natives to the new stipend (wage) policy, and she questioned why such funds were allowed stipend status in the first place. She also noted that the students were liable for back taxes for up to three years, but it doesn’t seem likely that the IRS would bother with trying to collect. The students won’t be subject to prosecution for tax eva sion because there was no knowledgeable effort to cheat on the taxes. Roberts expressed concern that the entire University may be audited by the IRS. She said the university is the fiscal agent for all student organiza tions. Because of this relationship, all persons being paid from state ac counts are considered state employees. (Continued on Page 2) By Rick Monroe Carolina Journal Editor UNCC Chancellor, E. K. Fretwell recently announced several changes in the administrative structure of the University. The changes are: the combining of the Colleges of Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Math and Science into the College of Arts and Science; the creation of a new division of Research and Public Safety; and to began look ing for a new vice chancellor for academic affairs. The combining of the three colleges will be effective July 1 and Dr. Sher man Burson, former dean of the Col lege of Math and Science will serve as dean of the new college. Dr. William Mathis, dean of the College of Humanities, will return to teaching duties in Creative Arts. Dean Nor man Schul of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences will become a program associate in the Institute for Urban Studies, which he helped establish. Fretwell said having the liberal arts divided into three colleges was “cumbersome.” Under the old sturc- ture, there were several chairmen of similar departments who had never met. Fretwell said thet the new set up would be more conducive to establishing a solid core curriculum. Also, most other established schools have a College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Phillip Hildreth, who has serv ed as vice chancellor for academic af fairs since 1974 will become a distinguished professor of biology and genetics after an eight month period of study at another university. Dr. Robert I). Snyder of the College of Engineering will be the interim vice chancellor for academic affairs as of June 1, when Hildreth vacates the post. A nation wide search will be conducted to fill the position. The new division of Research and Public Service will be headed by former vice chancellor of student af fairs, Dr. Douglas M. Orr. Dean of Students, Chuck Lynch, will fill Orr’s position while a national search is conducted for a person to fill the spot. Departments under the new divi sion will be the Office of Continuing Education and Extension, the In stitute for Urban Studies and Com munity Service, the Center for Inter national Studies, the Office of Research Grants and Contracts, Public Radio and Intercollegiate Athletics. According to Orr, a primary goal of the new division is to help the faculty in their research. He said the division would not lead UNCC into the ‘publish or perrish’ syndrome, but would help avoid it. “We would hope that the research that goes on here would not isolate students, but draw them in.” Orr said. He noted that on larger campuses only graduate students have the opportunity to assist professors in reseach while at UNCC undergraduates are helping in the labs. “We would like to get students much more involved in internships or cooperative education progams.” Orr said. He said that by including the stu dent radio station, WFAE, under the new division it would not mean a loss of control for the students. “The sta tion will still be accountable to the Student Media Board.” Orr said. Orr denied allegations that the station was being “nationalized” by the University simply because it was increasing in wat tage and would, in the future, be a highly visible p sity. “Since the station went FM (in 1977) ... it was clear the radio station would need to be an arm of a public service divi sion of the University.” the Univer- Orr he said. “The intent is to make sure everyone is having a say in how the sta tion is developing.” He said for the next few years the Stu dent Activity Fees Commission would be expected to fund the station but that eventually, state funds would replace the student monies. This year WFAE is re questing $20,000 in funding from student fees. Station Manager, Bo Pittman, estimated that the students had sup ported the radio station to the tune of ap- proxamately $150,000 since the station had gone on the air in 1970. Orr noted that while the station’s fun ding through federal and private grants had risen dramatically in the past few years, student money devoted to the sta tion had remained constant.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Student Newspaper
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May 26, 1980, edition 1
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