The university President’s Cabinet is scheduled to meet Feb. 27 to hear a report on the state of the university and an update on the UNA Foundation.

The cabinet will be able to determine their goals for the year once the university’s issues are presented at the meeting, said Cabinet member William “Luckey” Crocker.

“Our goals will be decided at the meeting once we hear what the university’s problems and issues are right now,” Crocker said.

The President’s Cabinet, composed of 77 members this year, is a special group of donors who recognize the need for available funds, which are not tied to a specific program and are not governed by State regulations.

The cabinet is made up of community members who choose to make a donation of at least $1,000 to UNA each year.

The average annual donation is about $1,400, said University President William Cale.

Last year’s cabinet members donated $106,482, which went to help programs such as study abroad and scholarship support, Cale said.

This money provides funding for expenses that are not directly funded by state programs, he said.

“The President’s Cabinet brings together a group of individuals who recognize the critical need that is met for the University through the gift of unrestricted funds,” Cale said. “The purposes for which State funds may be used are proscribed and carefully monitored, but those permitted uses are not sufficiently broad to allow for the full engagement of the university in the kinds of activities that make it successful.”

Sophomore Jackson Hardman is eager to see what the President’s Cabinet does this year, he said.

“I think it’s good to have a lot of different perspectives on where the money goes at the university,” Hardman said. “Getting more than just the same groups’ thoughts all the time is good.”

The Cabinet’s gifts allow UNA to fill gaps in funding of scholarships, to participate in community events, to thank the employees of UNA for their years of service, to meet an academic need where funds are lacking, to help a deserving international student cope with an unexpected problem and dozens more, Cale said.

Sophomore Owasra Ayassor thinks the President’s Cabinet is important to bring UNA and the Shoals community together, she said.

Some one whose scholarship gets funded by the cabinet’s donations could be in a position later in life to help those people when they are in need, she said.

“The (cabinet’s) unrestricted gifts are vital to building a stronger future for UNA,” Cale said.