By KWMU
Alton, Ill. – Southern Illinois University's Dental School in Alton is getting endowments totaling $600,000 from the Chicago Dental Society to help SIU recruit and retain professors at the school.
The Dental school's dean says dental professors' salaries are so far behind those in private practice that it's hard to recruit new instructors.
The gift is split into a $500,000 chunk that will be used to endow a faculty position. The other $100,000 will be used to create a Recruitment and Retention Fund. Other monies SIU saves by not having to pay that faculty salary from university funds will also go into the retention fund.