American Association of Colleges and Universities honors TBR Office of Academic Affairs with 2026 Game Changer Award

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) announced that the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) Office of Academic Affairs is the recipient of the 2026 Terrel L. Rhodes Game Changer Award, recognizing its leadership in redesigning general education across Tennessee’s community college system.

The award, announced April 1, 2026, honors the Office’s systemwide work to reimagine the TBR General Education Core through a collaborative process involving faculty, administrators, and staff. The initiative established shared learning outcomes across 13 community colleges while preserving the unique strengths of individual institutions, creating a coherent framework designed to support student success, transfer, and lifelong learning.

The TBR Office of Academic Affairs distinguished itself through a faculty-led redesign process that engaged nearly 3,000 faculty members over six years. The resulting model demonstrates how community colleges can drive large-scale curricular improvement while balancing access, quality, and consistency across a diverse system.

“AAC&U recognizes the broad impact of this work, which offers both an aspirational example and a practical roadmap for other higher education systems,” said Kate McConnell, AAC&U vice president for curricular and pedagogical innovation and executive director of VALUE. “TBR’s collaborative approach to curriculum design, assessment, and cross-institutional partnership shows that meaningful system-level change is possible. This award honors not only what has been accomplished, but the long-term impact this work will have on students and educators nationwide.”

“We’re grateful to AAC&U for recognizing our Office of Academic Affairs team for its leadership in developing the new General Education Core,” said TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings. “The core competencies are designed to prepare our students not only for successful careers but also for meaningful and engaged lives. This recognition reflects the dedication of our faculty and staff and reinforces our shared mission of student success.”

“In addition to the system-level Academic Affairs team, faculty and academic leaders representing all 13 Tennessee community colleges worked deliberately for six years to create and refine the General Education Core before its systemwide launch last August,” said Jothany Reed, TBR vice chancellor for academic affairs. “I am deeply proud of this collaborative effort and grateful to everyone who contributed, especially Robert Denn, who championed this initiative.”

Denn, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, emphasized the student-centered focus of the work. “The TBR Core gives students the tools to shape the lives and communities they want to build,” he said. “It is an integral and holistic part of their higher education experience.”

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 creative problem-solving, kindness, and transformational leadership in higher education. The award will be presented on April 17, 2026, at the AAC&U Conference on Learning and Student Success in Tucson, Arizona.

For more information about the award, please visit the AAC&U website.

More information about the TBR General Education Core is available at the Tennessee Board of Regents 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 www.aacu.org.