WASHINGTON DC (April 4, 2025) — The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has announced Michael Ben-Avie as the 2025 recipient of the Terrel L Rhodes Game Changer Award. The award recognizes his transformative leadership in general education, pedagogy, and assessment and his pivotal role in developing and advancing the AAC&U VALUE Scoring Collaborative, a groundbreaking system for assessing student learning at scale within and across institutions. The award was presented on April 4, 2025, at the AAC&U Conference on Learning and Student Success in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The Terrel L Rhodes Game Changer Award, named in honor of Terrel “Terry” L Rhodes, distinguished fellow and former vice president at AAC&U, is awarded annually to individuals or organizations that exemplify the creative problem-solving, kindness, and transformational leadership that Terry demonstrated throughout his career.
“This award not only honors Terry’s remarkable contributions, but it also recognizes leaders like Michael Ben-Avie, whose work embodies the same spirit of innovation, integrity, and commitment to advancing excellence and equity in higher education,” said Kate McConnell, AAC&U Vice President for Curricular and Pedagogical Innovation and Executive Director of VALUE. “Michael’s leadership has helped shape national models for meaningful assessment and authentic learning.”
For more information about the award, please visit the AAC&U website.
About AAC&U
The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy, and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities, and state higher-education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher-education institutions around the world as well as other organizations and individuals. To learn more, visit cu.org.
