Pharmacy school in works

Maureen Hagrman
News Reporter

The SIU board of trustees may vote on a new pharmacy school as soon as June. The school would be one of only three if approved this summer.

Chancellor David Werner said adding a school of pharmacy to SIUE is the next logical step for the university.

The plans to add the new school are already in progress for obtaining approval. The university planning and budget council approved the plans to be added to the list of next year's project approvals.

Assistant Provost for Planning Dwight Smith said, "We're still looking at the budget for it at this point."

The next step in the process of approval is presenting the plans to the SIU board of trustees. If approved, the plans will then be presented to the Illinois Board of Higher Education. If the school is approved by both, then SIU will seek funding for the school.

Smith said plans for the school are incomplete, but it could open as soon as fall 2004 on the central SIUE campus.

In an interview with The (Alton) Telegraph, Werner said, "This lines in well with what we're already doing in chemistry and the dental school and the nursing school. It fits my view with the overall mission of Southern Illinois University. I think it's an excellent new possibility for the university."