Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees during its regular meeting Monday evening heard a report on how Accounting students from Southwestern Michigan College will be offering free tax preparation assistance to individuals in the community as well as to fellow SMC students.

Students will be available from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday and March 8 in Room 461 of the Barbara Wood Building on the college’s Dowagiac campus. No appointment is necessary.

According to Chip Weeks, a faculty member in the School Business, the event will help students not just learn tax laws and how to use the computer program, but more importantly to also hone their interpersonal skills.

“People have a tendency to just throw papers at you and expect you to file their taxes,” he said. “But you really need to know more than that. You need interpersonal skills to learn about their life situation.”