Editor’s Note: The students interviewed in this article spoke to Rucker’s presence and achievements outside of the context of the award, as they were not aware Rucker had received the award at the time of being interviewed.
Former interim Dean of Students Cedric Rucker is being honored with the Z Society’s highest award — the Pale Z Award. The award is given to leaders who have made significant contributions to the University community.
In an anonymous statement to The Cavalier Daily, the Zs called Rucker a “trailblazer,” citing his return to the University to support students after a time of tragedy — the Nov. 13, 2022 shooting.
“In just two years, Dean Rucker has become a vital, trusted and beloved advocate for students, exemplifying the deep care for our community that he has demonstrated,” the Zs wrote. “He receives this award not just for his work over the last two years, but for his lifelong commitment to serving and uplifting generations of students, with full confidence in their ability to make a positive impact on the world.”
After more than four decades in higher education — including six years at the University in the 1980s and two years serving in the University administration most recently — Rucker stepped down from his role in March.
As dean of students, Rucker’s job was to lead the Division of Student Affairs, the entire student body and the greater University community. Many students note that Rucker has transformed the role of dean of students to be rooted in student empowerment and connectedness, including making student self-governance and community engagement a priority.
In his time at the University, Rucker became a consistent presence not just in an administrative capacity, but in the everyday experiences of students across Grounds. His open-door policy, willingness to engage with students from all backgrounds and steady commitment to empowering student leadership.
According to both the Zs and students, Rucker has left a legacy of championing student self-governance and student engagement by working closely with student leaders in Student Council and other self-governance organizations.
Valentina Mendoza Gonzalez, former Student Council president and fourth-year College student, says that during her time on Student Council, Rucker was always supportive of not only what the Council was doing, but how she was doing as a leader.
“I had weekly check-ins with Dean Rucker,” Gonzalez said. “I was checking in with him on how Student Council was doing, but he was also consistently checking in on me, on how I was doing and growing as a leader and a person, and how I was balancing the pressures of the role.”
Rucker’s approach to student connection extended beyond formal meetings or events. He frequently hosted informal conversations on Grounds titled “Hoos Got a Moment?” — brief drop-in sessions designed to create space for students to voice concerns, share ideas or simply engage in casual conversation with a senior administrator. These sessions reflected Rucker’s broader philosophy of being accessible and approachable to all students, regardless of their level of involvement on Grounds.
Gonzalez recalled a story that Rucker often shared about his own time in student self-governance at the University. Rucker earned his master’s degree in sociology from the University in 1984 and served as a graduate student representative on the Student Council.
“Dean Rucker tells the story, he says, ‘I went to the dean of students office, I had a list of demands about what had to change about graduate student life,’” Gonzalez said. “‘The dean heard me out, and then he said, ‘Okay, what are you going to do about it?’’”
According to Gonzalez, that experience shaped Rucker’s philosophy on student leadership, that students not only have the right to speak out, but also the responsibility to drive change.
“He realized that if he was going to buy into every perk of the system, he also had to buy into the fact that he had to be the one to make that happen,” Gonzalez said. “That’s his philosophy, and that’s the way we interacted in our meetings. I would tell him ‘This is wrong…’ and he would just remind me, ‘Well, what are you going to do about it?’”
Aside from Student Council, Rucker also played a role in growing and supporting student organizations on Grounds. Imane Akhanous, chair of the Middle Eastern North African Mentoring Program and third-year College student, said that Rucker was impactful in reviving the program two years ago.
“My first interaction was that he was just such a vibrant and caring person,” Akhanous said. “He listened to us and our concerns, and he listened to how the program was coming back and all the good that we've done throughout the year.”
Rucker lives on the Lawn, and previously told The Cavalier Daily that interacting with students informally, outside of his role as dean, brought him joy. He interacted with many student spaces on Grounds, including a brief stint in the Office of African American Affairs prior to serving as dean. Akhanous noted that Rucker’s presence on Grounds stood out for its consistency and care.
“He was always there as a supportive person,” Akhanous said. “I think that's so rare here, because of how big the school is and how many programs and initiatives there are. It’s so rare to have a person that's so invested in every single organization and that's what he did.”
Akhanous said Rucker brought a human-centered perspective to student leadership, often reminding students that their roles were rooted in community, not just process.
“I think with student self-governance at U.Va., a lot of people just view it as a bureaucracy and a means to an end, or a way to get things done,” Akhanous said. “But he saw it, like we're not all cogs in the machine, that we're all students first.”
Akhanous also noted how committed Ruckers was to student self-governance, saying Rucker’s support helped students feel seen and trusted in their leadership roles.
“He trusted us to lead and make decisions and shape our own experiences and stood behind us every step of the way,” Akhanous said. “That kind of faith and support in students is what made us believe in ourselves, and that’s a part of the legacy that he’s gonna leave behind.”
The Zs said Rucker is “most deserving” of the Pale Z Award because of his belief in the University and in students.
“We honor him for his innumerous contributions to enhancing the lives of students, for never giving up on this University and for always believing in the power of this place to do good,” the Zs wrote.
The Zs have a storied history of honoring University leaders with the Pale Z Award, including the late University President John Casteen, Susan Davis, former senior associate vice president for Student Affairs, and Nicole Eramo, former associate dean of students chief of staff. Founded in 1892, the Zs are believed to be one of the oldest of many secret societies on Grounds.
In the statement, the Zs expressed that Rucker’s welcoming energy will be missed by the students who know him.
“As he retires, we will miss Dean Rucker’s unparalleled warmth, his genuine love for his work and the sound of his laughter echoing across Grounds,” the Zs wrote.
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