Search for Valley City State University president suspended

BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — The search for the next president of Valley City State University has been suspended, the North Dakota University System announced this week.

A search committee appointed by the State Board of Higher Education decided to pause its work after multiple semi‑finalist candidates withdrew their names to pursue other job opportunities, according to the announcement.

For now, Interim President Allen Burgad will stay at the helm of the university.

The search committee is working on identifying next steps.

“The committee agreed it is in the best interest of the institution to pause the search and reassess next steps to ensure a strong and diverse candidate pool for campus and community consideration,” DJ Campbell, vice president of the State Board of Higher Education and co-chair of the search committee, said in the announcement.

Valley City State University’s previous president, Alan LaFave, left the school in December to lead Northern State University in South Dakota.

The committee indicated at the time it hoped to hire a permanent university president in late spring.

Valley City State University is a four-year college with a focus on training teachers.

Before being named interim president, Burgad was the dean of the college’s Department of Education. He also worked as an administrator in K-12 schools, including West Fargo, Stanley, Northern Cass and Napoleon.