Despite concerns raised by students and faculty regarding the new Presidential Cabinet, interim President Lou Hencken feels those concerns rest on a misunderstanding of the organization’s purpose.

Hencken said Wednesday that electing a student or faculty to the cabinet would defeat the purpose of the cabinet, which would counteract the idea to “reach out between the president’s office and the community.”

In response to Hencken forming the cabinet, there have been several complaints voiced by members of the Faculty Senate, and the Student Senate passed a resolution asking that a student be appointed to the cabinet.

At their Feb. 19 meeting, the Faculty Senate discussed their concerns that the cabinet didn’t represent the diversity of the university and that it was not needed because of the already existing Student Senate External Relations Committee.

However, Hencken believes the cabinet would be best served with only community members in Charleston and Mattoon to serve its purpose of “information sharing of here’s what’s going on (at Eastern).”

“We’re a big factor in this community,” he said. “We can’t simply tell ourselves about it but we have to tell other people.

“We need to get out the message of what we’re doing,” he said. “I don’t want to go to such an extent where we defeat the whole purpose.”

But Hencken has not dismissed the idea of involving students and faculty opinions in the cabinet and intends to invite students and faculty to the meetings.

In addition, the cabinet is set up as an informal body and Hencken said involving a student member as well as faculty may turn it into a formal group with a constitution and regular meetings.

“That makes it more formal than I had wanted it to be,” he said. “We’re not going to make decisions on what color to paint Old Main.”

Hencken said the name of the organization may have led to the confusion over its purpose. He said “Presidential Cabinet” relays the wrong message of what type of group it is and what purpose it serves.

“If I was to do anything over again I would change the name,” he said.

In its first meeting, the cabinet took tours of the library and food court, discussed the budget cuts and had a question and answer session. Hencken said he intends for the group to meet once a semester and it’s next date to meet will be some time in May or June.

Hencken also added that the cabinet may not continue to meet once a new president is hired.

“(It’s) all up to the new president,” he said. “This whole idea might die.”