For fourth-year student leaders, the weeks before graduation are a time to reflect on the contributions of the outgoing class to the University’s long-held tradition of student self-governance. The tradition, often considered unique from other higher education institutions to the University’s experience, affords student-run organizations like Student Council, the University Judiciary Committee and the Honor Committee significant power to sanction their peers or to lobby on behalf of the student body’s needs to other stakeholders.
In a series of interviews with The Cavalier Daily, the three most recent leaders of the Council, UJC and Honor shared further reflections on the state of the organizations they served in and the institution of self-governance after four years of administrative leadership and institutional change.
Student leaders, reflecting on the meaning of self-governance at the University, spoke on their reactions to federal scrutiny, interactions with University administrators and engagement with an inspiring student body.
Clay Dickerson, former Student Council president
Clay Dickerson, former Student Council president and Class of 2026 alumnus, reiterated his belief that student self-governance is now “the most vulnerable, yet the most powerful” it has ever been.
In the wake of federal investigations into former University President Jim Ryan’s alleged refusal to dismantle Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies, Department of Justice officials demanded his resignation. Ryan resigned in June, and in response, the Council passed a vote of no confidence against the Board Aug. 8. In its vote, the Council cited the Board’s lack of support for Ryan in the buildup to his resignation and an unwillingness to include a sufficient number of undergraduate students on the search committee for his successor.
The Board appointed University President Scott Beardsley to the role Dec. 19 — less than six months after Ryan’s departure. Student Council, in response, released a statement condemning what they considered a rushed presidential search.
Dickerson said the last year placed prominent student self-governance leaders in unique positions amidst unprecedented federal scrutiny to amplify the concerns of the student body.
“Last year, we had the opportunity to redefine our role in the University-wide community by asserting ourselves as voices worth listening to,” Dickerson said. “We were able to claim more ground and to expand the power of our voice. But that also comes with increased scrutiny on … the things that we do … There are just so many eyes on U.Va. right now.”
Beyond the subject of federal scrutiny, Dickerson also met with Beardsley Jan. 23. In this early meeting, Dickerson secured commitments of $500,000 for Support and Access Services — a branch of Student Council that offers free resources to students like textbook reimbursements, legal services and a shuttle service to nearby airports. Beardsley also agreed to partner with Student Council in a matching-funds campaign to raise money for its endowment and reduce its reliance on the Student Activities Fee, and affirmed continued discretionary support for University traditions like Lighting of the Lawn.
Four days after Dickerson’s meeting with Beardsley, the Council’s Representative Body unanimously passed a resolution affirming their support for Beardsley in the name of institutional stability.
Upon reflection, Dickerson expressed a general concern that as student self-governance becomes more influential in University governance writ large, it attracts “doubters.” The biggest challenge to self-governance, according to him, is a significant number of “non-students” — including a vocal minority of alumni, faculty and staff — who potentially discount students’ competence as partners in effectively governing the University.
“We are infinitely capable, and it should be assumed that we are capable,” Dickerson said. “We will prove you wrong, time and time again, until we are recognized as such.”
Another challenge Dickerson noted was what he identified as a declining level of diversity in “prominent student self-governance positions,” calling on students of all backgrounds to encourage their friends and fellow community members to contest these roles.
“[The decline in diversity] is a problem,” Dickerson said. “There's not a single student at this University that couldn't do what I did, just as good and likely better than I did. It just takes a little belief. I think the University of Virginia is better when it's represented by a diverse cast of students. I say that as a white man.”
Dickerson also said that increasingly in the future, an essential part of student self-governance at the University will include student leaders on the main campus helping to spotlight the concerns of students at the College at Wise and the Northern Virginia campus.
During his tenure, Dickerson and other Council members took steps to strengthen the connection between the Council and the College at Wise’s Student Government Association. As an example, Dickerson signed a memorandum of understanding with William Rudeseal, former SGA president and fourth-year College at Wise student. The memorandum was adopted Oct. 20, and constitutes a commitment between the Council and SGA to share crucial information and encourage mutual cooperation as part of shared efforts to upholding student governance.
“[Those students] don't have as much of a say,” Dickerson said. “The burden falls upon … our University community and students to very humbly recognize the value of those communities and those people.”
Allison McVey, former University Judiciary Committee chair
The University Judiciary Committee is a student-run judiciary body that investigates and adjudicates alleged violations of the 12 Standards of Conduct. In a March interview with The Cavalier Daily, Allison McVey, former chair and Class of 2026 alumna, reflected on her time in office, in which she discussed her efforts to engage the University community with the work of UJC, and to decrease processing times in the face of an inflating number of cases.
In a subsequent interview with The Cavalier Daily, McVey noted that the uptick in cases is a new development for UJC. She said that in her first year, she remembers early conversations among its members and Executive Board revolving not around the caseload, but rather around how UJC could maintain its legitimacy in the eyes of University administrators and the student body.
“I think what we were experiencing [during my first year] was actually a lack of engagement,” McVey said. “[There was] a lack of significant cases coming our way at the level and intensity that they are now.”
She said since then, the attitude towards UJC on Grounds has changed. She said the shift occurred in part when University policy changed to give UJC the sole power to sanction Greek life organizations for hazing allegations.
McVey also said she believes UJC’s involvement in more public-facing situations, such as the events of May 4, 2024, initially brought the body negative attention. On May 4, 2024, a pro-Palestinian encampment on Grounds was dismantled by local law enforcement, and over 20 students were arrested and controversially charged, including by UJC. She said she hoped this attention from the UJC’s charges, which were eventually dropped, “blossomed” into greater awareness about the UJC and its importance.
McVey predicted UJC’s mounting caseload will remain a “continual challenge,” noting that the student-run nature of the organization is both a virtue and “its biggest weakness.” She pointed out that, though UJC’s caseload is demanding, it is not a full time job, and members must balance the responsibilities of the role with their education, slowing down its processes.
“The individuals who are the stewards of the process are students,” McVey said. “[They] have classes and … finals and they have stuff going on. That's what makes them most representative of their peers.”
Both Honor and UJC were also named in the University’s latest compliance report to the Justice Department, in which it outlined steps it is taking to bring University policies into compliance with the Department's interpretation of civil rights law. According to the report, Honor and UJC have discontinued the use of implicit bias training for members.
McVey said that operationally, she does not feel as though much has changed for the UJC in light of the federal developments, but she did note that the current Trump administration’s honing in on the policies and culture of higher education has had an effect on organizations like UJC, meriting greater caution from its members on “a granular level.”
“I think at the present moment that we're in, where there's such a spotlight on higher education … agencies of higher education institutions suddenly find themselves having to be more intentionally compliant with the changing policy priorities of the federal government,” McVey said.
Thomas Ackleson, former Honor Committee chair
Thomas Ackleson, former Honor Committee chair and Class of 2026 alumnus, sent a written statement to The Cavalier Daily in which he reflected on Honor’s last four years of work, hailing what he called “significant progress,” much of which stemmed from Honor’s switch to a multi-sanction system in July of 2023.
The Honor Committee is a student-run committee that upholds and supports “the Community of Trust” by trying and sanctioning students who have violated the University’s honor code. For the vast majority of Honor’s 180-year history, it operated under a single-sanction system, which mandated that students found guilty of lying, cheating or stealing were to be expelled from the University. In the Spring of 2022, students overwhelmingly voted to change this single sanction to a two-semester suspension, before Honor rewrote its constitution and processes, switching to a “multi-sanction” system in 2023.
The multi-sanction system includes a variety of sanctions for different offenses committed by students, including writing apology letters, undergoing mandatory mentorship from an Honor-affiliated faculty member and the return of a stolen item or restitution.
“Like you’d expect when creating a new process and constitution, there has been a lot of work to build up fair and efficient procedures over the last three years,” Ackleson wrote.
Ackleson also noted that the new process coincided with a “sharp increase” in the number of Honor cases which he believes reflects a “healthier Honor system” in which students are more likely to report allegations of wrongdoing.
“I’m proud of all of the Committee Representatives and Support Officers who have and continue to put countless hours into improving the system, advocating for students and community members, and upholding the Community of Trust,” Ackleson wrote.
Looking Forward
All three organizations have since undergone a change in leadership. UJC elected its new executive committee March 22, and Zach Davidson, rising fourth-year College student, began his term as chair April 1. Davidson expressed a desire to further strengthen the relationship between UJC and the student body. Honor elected rising fourth-year College student Genny Freed at its annual Graves Mountain Lodge Retreat March 27-29, and Freed took office April 6. Freed expressed a desire to increase transparency and efficiency in the sanctioning process.
The student body elected rising fourth-year Commerce student Michael Mitchell as Council President with 51.7 percent of the vote in February. Upon taking office, Mitchell expressed a desire to amplify the student voice when bargaining with other University stakeholders, prioritize building Student Council’s long-term financial stability through an endowment and improve access to mental health resources on Grounds.
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