(VCSU) – Valley City State University is pleased to welcome Dr. Allen Burgad on campus as the new Dean of the Department of Education.

Burgad is a 1989 graduate of VCSU and a member of the Hall of Fame 1988 football team. He has served as an administrator in multiple schools including West Fargo, Stanley, Northern Cass, Napoleon, and Powder River County District in Montana. Most recently, he was the assistant superintendent for eight years at West Fargo, one of the largest school districts in the state of North Dakota. Burgad assumed his position in June.

“I’m honored and humbled to lead this department,” Burgad said. “There were quite a few people that had a great impact on me during my time as a student here. I felt compelled to come back and help others to have the opportunity to become educators.”

VCSU has awarded the most degrees in education in North Dakota annually for seven years. In 2019, VCSU led the state with 177 education graduates. In recent surveys, 97% of those graduating students would recommend VCSU’s teacher education program to others who want to be teachers.

“Education is changing,” Burgad said. “There’s no doubt about it and technology is one of the drivers and innovators of that. Students are learning differently now than they were a few decades ago. It is our job, as instructors training the next generation of teachers, to help prepare them for that change.”

“Our Education Department is one of the most recognized, awarded and respected departments in the nation when it comes to training teachers,” President Alan LaFave, said. “We were ranked as the #1 Elementary Education Program in the nation in April 2021, by Study.com and our students continue to gain praise for their readiness to be in the classroom. We could not be prouder of this program. Having someone as compassionate, capable and driven as Dr. Burgad to lead the team is a testament to the quality and dedication this program inspires.”

Burgad is married to Lee Ann, also a 1989 VCSU graduate and together they have three adult children, also VCSU alumni.

For more information about VCSU’s Education Department, contact Tammy Jo Anderson Taft by emailing TammyJo.Taft@vcsu.edu, or calling 701-371-8441.