April 27, 2007

	Gary Tharaldson (left) and his wife, Connie, were joined by Tharaldson School dean and chairman of the university¹s board of trustees, Martin White, in a ceremonial opening of the earth for U-Mary¹s Gary Tharaldson School of Business, April 26.

Bismarck, ND--The University of Mary, America's Leadership University, celebrated the groundbreaking for the Gary Tharaldson School of Business, April 26. Members of the U-Mary community joined civic and business leaders and the Sisters of the Annunciation Monastery in heralding the beginning of construction on the flagship facility for the university's new School of Business and a new centerpiece of the community.

In a ceremony using a shovel reserved for groundbreakings, Martin White, chairman of the board of trustees and dean of the Tharaldson School, and Gary and Connie Tharaldson led in the opening of the earth. Ground was then broken by Brad Scott of the Business Executive Operations Team of the Harold Schafer Emerging Leaders Academy, and Tim Hennessy, chair of the board of regents, followed by Marv Borgelt, Business Division chair; Jerry Fischer, executive vice president and Building Committee chair; and architect Don Barsness, EAPC Architects Engineers. Diane Fladeland, vice president for academic affairs, and Neal Kalberer, vice president for public affairs, turned the next shovel, followed by Sister Susan Berger, OSB, prioress of Annunciation Monastery, and Brooks Hetle, student body president.

"As we break ground for this outstanding new facility, the University of Mary's first school, we are taking yet another step in our journey as America's Leadership University," said U-Mary President Sister Thomas Welder. "This building will give physical form to a vision that has been influenced and encouraged by both the university and business and civic communities. With the support of our sponsors, the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, and our trustees and regents, and guidance from the Executive Operations Committee, we look forward to continuing to respond to the needs of this region and beyond."

Noting that the creation of any school is an evolutionary process, Tharaldson expressed his confidence that "the great leadership" at the University of Mary will guide the Tharaldson School into becoming a "top-notch school" that will be competitive not only with other schools of comparable size, but in the overall business arena. He also stressed the positive role he anticipates the new school playing in attracting students to North Dakota and developing leaders who will create further business opportunities in the state.

The 29,000-square-foot Gary Tharaldson School of Business will provide the physical architecture for an innovative, team-based, world-class education for tomorrow's business leaders and allow business studies to be centralized for the first time. It will be constructed on the south side of the U-Mary campus and complemented by the adjacent 15,000-square-foot Harold Schafer Leadership Center. Plans call for the new facility to include faculty offices and "smart classrooms" equipped with state-of-the-art digital and networked systems, as well as a conference room and 183-seat tiered auditorium. In addition to their primary educational function, these shared spaces will serve the community by providing a venue for business conferences and seminars. The proposed structure also will accommodate an electronic stock ticker, a digital messaging board, and classroom technology including Internet, cable TV, and multi-media capabilities.

Over the next year, the university will be completing the $8.5 million fundraising program for the Tharaldson School, focusing on $2 million for endowing scholarships and an operations fund. Completion is anticipated in August of 2008.

Patterned after the highly successful, nationally recognized Harold Schafer Leadership Center and its student component, the Emerging Leaders Academy, the Tharaldson School is a new model for the preparation of students for careers in business that is uniquely designed to bridge the gap between the academic and business world. It is distinguished from those of other business schools by its dynamic interaction with local and regional businesses, its emphasis on entrepreneurship, team-building, its global perspective, and its values-based ethical responsibility. A major academic initiative, the new school also will serve as a resource for local, regional, and national business entities, as it becomes a centerpiece of Bismarck-Mandan's growth and a catalyst for North Dakota's prosperity.

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