Hotline // June 11, 2025
This week’s Hotline includes the following articles:
- President’s Column: Breaking Ground on Tharaldson Family Athletic Center
- VCSU Announces 2025 Osmon Icon Coaches Hall of Fame Inductees
- VCSU offers “Neighbor Rate” to regional out-of-state students
- VCSU Hosts Inaugural Teacher Empowerment Incubator
- VCSU Foundation Launches New Website
- Beebe named Staff Member of the Quarter
- What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…
President's Column: Breaking Ground on Tharaldson Family Athletic Center
By Alan LaFave, VCSU President
Greetings from Valley City State University!
We are proud to celebrate the official groundbreaking ceremony for the highly anticipated Tharaldson Family Athletic Center, scheduled for Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. on the south side of “The Bubble” on the VCSU campus. This state-of-the-art facility represents a significant milestone in the university’s commitment to enhancing student-athlete development, academic-athletic balance, community engagement, and the overall student-athlete experience.
It starts with a vision
The groundbreaking event marks the culmination of years of planning and fundraising, underscoring our university’s dedication to providing first-rate athletic and competition opportunities. Once completed, the facility will serve as a multi-use indoor practice space for VCSU’s athletic teams, including football, baseball, softball, and track and field.
This facility is not just an investment in athletics—it’s an investment in the future of our campus, student success, and the broader Valley City community. We are thrilled to break ground on a project that will transform how our athletes train and how our community gathers.
Thank you to our donors
Funded with private donations, this project would not be possible without the extraordinary generosity of alumni, supporters, local businesses, and community leaders. We are extremely grateful for the support of all our friends and donors whose vision, encouragement, and donations have helped turn this dream into a reality.
We especially thank the Gary Tharaldson family for their lead gift of $5 million helping solidify the campaign and inspire others to contribute. VCSU is also grateful to the VCSU Foundation, Foundation Board, capital campaign committee, members of the athletic building committee, and Friends of Viking Athletics for their leadership in fundraising efforts.
About the facility
The Tharaldson Family Athletic Center is designed to provide a year-round training space, protected from North Dakota’s harsh winter conditions. All our teams will benefit from regular practice and training sessions in a climate-controlled environment. The weight room will be relocated to the northwest corner of the new facility, providing a more spacious and safer environment for our athletes year-round training activities. Additionally, the facility is large enough to host indoor softball games, which will be advantageous for the beginning of their spring season.
We are confident that this new facility will play a vital role in attracting prospective student-athletes, maintaining a competitive athletic program, and providing a top-notch student-athlete experience for future generations of Viking athletes.
Join the celebration
All students, alumni, community members, and supporters are invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony. The event will include remarks from university leadership, donors, and coaches, followed by light refreshments and an opportunity to view architectural renderings of the new facility.
Visit our website for more information or to support the project.
This groundbreaking represents more than the start of construction—it is a bold step into the future for VCSU athletics, academics, and the broader community.
Go Vikings!
VCSU Announces 2025 Osmon Icon Coaches Hall of Fame Inductees
Valley City State University has announced the 2025 class of inductees into the Osmon Icon Coaches Hall of Fame. This year, 27 outstanding VCSU alumni will be honored for their lifelong contributions to coaching, education, and student development.
These Viking graduates represent a legacy of leadership, sportsmanship, and excellence across high school and collegiate athletics. These coaches have not only built championship programs—they’ve shaped character, elevated communities, and lived the Viking values of integrity, service, and perseverance.
A public celebration will be held on June 12th at the Valley City Eagles as part of a big week for Viking Athletics festivities. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased by calling the VCSU Foundation & Alumni office at 701-845-7203. Deadline to purchase tickets is June 5. The event starts with a social at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m.
2025 Inductees:
- Jerry Halmrast ’59
- Rollie Penfield ’64
- Dennis Friestad ’66
- Myron Loberg ’68
- Leon Opdahl ’70
- Bruce Scheie ’71
- Byron Hoeckle ’74
- Boyd Sussex ’75
- Steve Rice ’75
- Roger Steinbrecher ’75
- Craig Hougen ’77
- Brian Midthun ’80
- Dave Handt ’81
- Scott King ’81
- Tim Kraft ’81
- Alan Olson ’84
- Scott McPherson ’84
- Kevin “Doc” Dockter ’84
- Cameron Dockter ’84
- Barb Kraft ’84
- Todd Hoffner ’89
- Brian Nelson ’89
- Jim Makovsky ’89
- Darin Loe ’89
- Rich Olson ’92
- Cory Schall ’99
- Joe Kern ’03
Collective Achievements Include:
- Over 150 years of combined head coaching experience
- More than 10,000 career wins across multiple sports
- At least 50 state tournament appearances
- Over 25 State Championships in football, wrestling, basketball, volleyball, track & field, baseball, and golf
- Dozens of runner-up and semifinal state finishes
- More than 100 All-American athletes coached
- Multiple National and State Coach of the Year honorees
- Inductions into over 15 State and National Halls of Fame
- Leadership as athletic directors, officials, and educational administrators
- Founders of athletic programs, youth camps, and facilities impacting generations
VCSU offers “Neighbor Rate” to regional out-of-state students
Valley City State University announced today that residents of South Dakota, Montana, Manitoba and Saskatchewan will receive the same special tuition rate as Minnesota students who attend VCSU.
VCSU has adjusted its contiguous tuition rate to extend the same great value to all five neighboring states and provinces. Students from South Dakota, Montana, Manitoba and Saskatchewan can take advantage of the reduced rate for the first time starting with the 2025-26 school year.
“VCSU has a long history of providing quality education at an affordable cost,” said VCSU president Alan LaFave. “This tuition adjustment extends our affordable opportunities to even more students in our region, offering all our neighboring states and provinces the same value.”
For the 2025-26 school year, tuition for students from the five neighboring states and provinces will be $260.70 per credit, or $7821 for yearly tuition (15 credits per semester/30 credits per year.) This rate makes VCSU tuition a more affordable option than many in-state universities for those students.
With higher education rates soaring across the country, VCSU has worked hard to keep its tuition reasonable for students. The school awards about $1.9 million in scholarships each year, and approximately 87% of incoming freshmen receive academic scholarship dollars.
Valley City State University offers more than 60 programs of study and has one of the most-respected Teacher Education programs in the nation. The School of Education will have a new home in 2025, moving into the recently renovated McCarthy Hall with all new classrooms and the latest technology for teachers and students. VCSU also offers one of the top Fisheries & Wildlife programs in the Midwest, placing graduates into important conservation jobs across the nation.
The school is also breaking ground this summer on a new indoor athletics facility for its student-athletes. The Tharaldson Family Athletic Center includes a large indoor turf practice space that will benefit all programs, a new weight room, training room, locker rooms and team rooms.
Valley City State University is located in Valley City, N.D. (pop. 6551) along the beautiful Sheyenne River. VCSU had an enrollment of 1806 students this fall. Along with a diverse offering of academic programs, the school has 15 varsity athletic teams that include football, volleyball, cross country, basketball, track and field, baseball, softball and shooting sports.
VCSU Hosts Inaugural Teacher Empowerment Incubator
Valley City State University recently hosted the inaugural session of the Teacher Empowerment Incubator, a program focused on empowering educators in rural North Dakota to lead change in their schools and communities.
Led by The Educators’ Lab in conjunction with VCSU, the Teacher Empowerment Incubator is an 8-month professional development experience designed for innovative teachers who are ready to design and launch bold, local solutions that meet the needs of their students and communities. The 12 participating teachers receive personalized coaching, collaborative learning opportunities and up to $1,500 in project funding to support an educator-led impact initiative. The incubator is funded by the Burgum Foundation.
“We believe that when teachers are supported as designers and leaders, incredible things happen for students, schools, and entire communities,” said Darcy Bakkegard, Program Coordinator for the Incubator. “We’re thrilled to have a vibrant cohort of 12 rural educators as part of this cohort of change-makers.”
The group met in-person at VCSU on May 28-29 and will continue to support each other via a series of virtual workshops and coaching sessions. Ultimately, each educator will launch a custom-designed impact project tailored to the needs of their classroom or school community.
“I feel so empowered by this course and the group we are working with,” said Megan Margerum, a 3rd grade teacher at Northern Cass Public School. “It gives me that “spark” back and now I have some time over the summer to do more brainstorming and make connections with people who can help. I love having this creative space to explore, while giving ideas as well.”
The group of 12 participants in the inaugural cohort range from kindergarten teachers to high school science and math teachers to special education teachers.
VCSU Foundation Launches New Website
The Valley City State University Foundation has launched a new and improved website at www.vcsualumni.org, making it even easier for VCSU alumni to stay connected.
Through a more user-friendly interface on www.vcsualumni.org, VCSU graduates can share major life events with Foundation staff, donate to scholarships or other VCSU causes, or nominate fellow alumni for awards. They can also stay up to date on news, upcoming events and featured Alumni spotlights.
The new site features a cleaner, newer look and a simplified design. It is also more accessible, making it easier for people to navigate the website with screen readers or other digital accessibility tools.
“Our website redesign was done with our Alumni in mind,” said Kim Hesch, Assistant Director for Advancement and Alumni Relations. “We have not updated the appearance of our website for over 10 years. This new design is simplified, focusing on information our alumni are most interested in. We encourage people to use the site as a way to share good news with us and keep up with the latest VCSU happenings.”
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Beebe named Staff Member of the Quarter
Hannah Beebe, research and instruction librarian, was recently named the Staff Member of the Quarter.
Beebe was nominated for their dedication to creating initiatives that promote student engagement and life-long learning at the Allen Memorial Library. They were also recognized for their commitment to diversity and inclusion by providing Safe Zone trainings and advising the Social Justice Council and contributing significantly to the library’s efforts in creating accessible digital content. One of many nominations stated, “Hannah’s work ethic and outreach efforts have greatly increased awareness of library services among the VCSU Community.”
Congratulations, Hannah!
What's happening at VCSU and around Valley City...
June 12
2 p.m. Tharaldson Family Athletic Center Groundbreaking Ceremony, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse
5 p.m. Coaches Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Valley City Eagles Club
June 13
8:30 a.m. Viking Scramble, Bjornson Park Golf Course
Find out what’s happening at VCSU: https://www.vcsu.edu/news-events/
Find out what’s happening in the community: https://www.valleycitycalendar.com/