Terrel L. Rhodes Game Changer Award

Affectionately known as the "Terry," this award is named for Terrel “Terry” L. Rhodes, Distinguished Fellow and former Vice President at AAC&U. It was Terry’s vision that led to the creation of the AAC&U VALUE rubrics as an alternative to more mechanistic approaches to assessing student learning. Released in 2009, the VALUE rubrics literally “changed the game” for assessing student learning in higher education. To date, individual VALUE rubrics have been downloaded over 800,000 times by nearly 3,000 colleges and universities across 156 countries. 

In honor of his vision to create tools and systems centering on quality and equity as the hallmarks of a true liberal education, Terry received the AAC&U Game Changer Award in 2023. In 2024, the award was renamed in his honor. It is now given annually to an individual or organization that exemplifies the skills and qualities Terry demonstrated throughout his professional career—creative problem-solving, kindness, and transformational leadership in general education, pedagogy, and assessment.