The Charles P. Ruch Award for Excellence in Teaching honors Dr. Charles P. Ruch, a former provost and dean of the School of Education.

When Dr. Ruch left VCU in 1992 to become the president of Boise State University, the School of Education chose to honor him by creating a faculty award in his honor.

Dr. Ruch valued the traditional university faculty roles in the triad mission of teaching, scholarship and service. He emphasized that scholarship and service are important in a modern metropolitan research university. He mirrored these values in his work at VCU by teaching throughout his tenure as dean and provost.