This week's feature is BA 336 Individual Income Taxes. The course is taught by 2nd-year professor Jesse Schumacher.

Our department was contacted recently by the Marion County Senior Citizens about provided tax preparation services for area seniors. They remembered that in the early 90s we had provided similar services and hoped we would consider re-vitalizing the program now. In an interview for the Tabor College Public Relations Office, Norm Hope commented, "The previous program was a program of the IRS called Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)." After department discussion, the accounting professors decided to offer tax preparation in 2007, but "[the current program] is not affiliated with any specific program, government or otherwise," Hope stated.

Each Tuesday evening from mid-February through the end of March, students in the BA 336 tax class are available to help senior citizens with tax preparation. As a department, we view this partnership as a win-win venture. Area seniors receive vital help with their taxes, and Tabor accounting students have an opportunity to apply the knowledge they have acquired and interact with the public. Being a part of and giving to the larger community of Hillsboro is just one of the ways the TC Business Department prepares "students for a life of learning, work, and service for Christ and His Kingdom" (TC Mission Statement).

Pictures: Seniors Casey Jost (upper right) and April Funk (lower right) work on tax assignments while they wait for new customers during a recent tax session.

Focus on Organizational Behavior
This spring we are going to take a sneak peek into the Business Department!

We begin our journey with a snapshot of the Organizational Behavior class. Twenty-three sophomores, juniors and seniors meet each Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00-9:50 a.m. with Dr. Norm Hope to learn practices for good interpersonal and corporate communication. Recently, the class has "been looking at individual behavior in organizations, topics such as self-concept, personality, abilities, emotions, values, attitudes, job satisfaction, social perception, attribution, and motivation," says Dr. Hope.

The class has also utilized role playing, in which they focus on one aspect of organizational life. Recent activities include: anger control, individual abilities, and group involvement. Additionally, the group "looked at individual stereotypes and how they impact group decisions, and used attribution theory to apply help to a struggling employee," according to Hope.

Currently, the class is focusing on employee motivation. Some of the topics related to motivation include: needs theory, motivation/hygiene theory, equity theory, organizational justice, expectancy theory, motivation through goal setting, and motivation through job design.

Continuining the pattern of excellence set forth by the Business Department, the Organizational Behavior class is training students to become the leaders of tomorrow!