VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSU) – This has been a celebratory, historic and action-packed couple of weeks at VCSU! We’ve received the largest gift in our history, recognized achievements and retirements for our faculty and staff, celebrated spring commencement with our 2024 graduates, families, and friends, and have solidified our athletic conference affiliation for fall 2025.
We are incredibly grateful to the Tharaldson Family for the recent $5M gift to our “Forward Together” Capital Campaign. This gift puts the exclamation point on our first ever campaign for VCSU. The impact of the campaign will be long-lasting and significant, including enhanced student scholarships, a complete renovation of McCarthy Hall, and the addition of an indoor turf practice facility for our athletic programs. Each of these items will enhance the student experience and bring added value and vitality to our beautiful campus, and the plan for moving these projects forward will be at the soonest possible date. In fact, you will begin to see mobilization and work commencing with the McCarthy Hall renovation in mid-June.
Celebrating the contributions, success, and retirements of our faculty and staff is one of the most important events we host each spring. We gathered at the Memorial Student Center for this wonderful event on May 9. Celebrating outstanding achievements of faculty and staff throughout the year, promotions, degree and certification completions, and retirements were on the agenda for recognition. Four retirements this year, amounting to more than 100 years of combined service to VCSU were announced and recognized. What an amazing legacy and solid foundation these folks have left for the university community.
We were honored to celebrate the completion of degrees and certificates for 170 students at our 132nd commencement activities held May 11 at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse. Gathering to celebrate with this year’s graduates, families, and friends is the highlight and capstone of the academic year. North Dakota State Board of Higher Education member Curtis Biller provided greetings. The student speaker was Madison Yoder, and the recipient of the faculty excellence award, Dr. Travis Knapp delivered remarks. We are so proud of our graduates and wish them the very best as they embark on the next chapter in their lives.
Finally, it’s likely you’ve heard the news that our university athletic program will be joining the Frontier Conference beginning with the fall 2025 academic year. We are very excited to be moving to this new conference in unity with the four remaining North Star universities. The opportunity to expand the size of our conference, while preserving the traditional rivalries we’ve established in the NSAA, will bring new excitement and stability to our athletic programs for the future. The Frontier currently sponsors 12 sports, including football, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, and men’s and women’s golf. With the addition of the five NSAA schools – who all play baseball and softball – the Frontier will also likely begin sponsoring baseball and softball as an official conference sport in the coming years. I’m certain this move will enhance and elevate the experiences of our student-athletes and supporters.
We wish you the best in your summer travels and activities. Should your travels bring you to Valley City, we encourage you to stop by campus and see and enjoy the updates and beauty of our grounds and facilities. Go Vikings!
Dr. Alan LaFave president of Valley City State University