Sept. 12, 2008

Bismarck, ND--The University of Mary celebrated the opening of the new Tharaldson School of Business and honored Gary and Connie Tharaldson in a late-afternoon dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday.

Students, faculty, staff, invited guests and representatives from Annunciation Monastery, business, government and the Bismarck-Mandan community were on hand to join in the blessing and dedication of the eagerly anticipated flagship facility.

"Today is our day," said senior business and business communication major Brianna Strahm. "The Gary Tharaldson School of Business opens before us new opportunities."

"Here we stand before breathtaking vistas of valley and river in this place that is the University of Mary," offered business administration and business communication major and Student Government President Blaze Culliton, '09. "The Gary Tharaldson School of Business connects to the Benedictine Center, the place that was the home of the Benedictine Sisters when they founded the University of Mary in 1959. Help us bridge between the founding vision and new world realities as we continue to seek the truth responsibly and reverently."

“As we welcome students, faculty and the community to this state-of-the-art facility, we celebrate not only a new place to gather and learn, but also a new gateway of opportunity,” said University of Mary President Sister Thomas Welder. “The Gary Tharaldson School of Business is a place where students will begin their journey into the world of commerce with both an excellent education and an ethical grounding that will distinguish them as servant leaders in the business arena.

“Looking out the school’s windows across the Missouri Valley, we are reminded of the founding Sisters and their mission of serving the people of the region and preparing leaders in the service of truth. We are grateful to Gary and Connie Tharaldson and the many friends of the university who have helped carry forth the Sisters’ vision through their support of this far-reaching venture, which will impact the region and the world through the avenues it opens to our students.”

Representing the university's sponsors, the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, Prioress Sister Nancy Miller, OSB, affirmed the school's Benedictine heritage and the hope that the building will "honor connections between individual lives and the common good; connections between civic community and university community; connections between office and classroom." She commended Gary and Connie Tharaldson and "all benefactors who have embraced the Benedictine heritage as their own in making this school of business a reality." ... "Today, in dedicating this building, we affirm its purpose to 'grow' leadership through ethical service, professional competency, and business integrity," she said.

Plaque Honors Tharaldsons
In conjunction with the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a plaque was unveiled citing Gary and Connie Tharaldson "for their commitment to future generations of leaders in business and their belief in the distinctive mission of the University of Mary."

Following the dedication and blessing, visitors mingled in the main gathering space where the ceremony was held and took tours of the 29,000-square-foot facility.

The new building, which combines contemporary features with U-Mary signature architectural elements and themes, provides the physical architecture for an innovative, team-based, world-class education for tomorrow's business leaders and allow U-Mary business studies to be centralized for the first time. Designed by EAPC Architects Engineers, the school is situated on the south side of the U-Mary campus. The new facility is complemented by and connected to the adjacent 15,000-square-foot Harold Schafer Leadership Center.

The new facility includes 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 structure also has an electronic stock ticker, a digital messaging board, and classroom technology including Internet, cable TV, and multi-media capabilities.

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 and 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.