Awards & Honors
Sustaining high-quality, equitable, and inclusive education requires many committed partners. Through prestigious annual awards, AAC&U recognizes leaders who are transforming liberal education and advancing innovations in learning.
Frederic W. Ness Book Award
A mark of distinction for both authors and publishers, the Frederic W. Ness Book Award recognizes outstanding written contributions to the understanding and improvement of liberal education.
The K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award
The K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award honors graduate students who show exemplary promise as future leaders of higher education and who are committed to academic innovation in the areas of equity, community engagement, and teaching and learning.
President's Award
AAC&U President’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Liberal Education recognizes an individual or organization that has provided dedicated service, consistent advocacy, and outstanding leadership to the higher education community nationally or internationally. Honorees have made a meaningful and appreciable contribution to the issues and concerns affecting liberal education.
The Delphi Award
Awarded by the Pullias Center for Higher Education in partnership with AAC&U, the Delphi Award recognizes noteworthy efforts to support adjunct, contingent, and non-tenure-track faculty in promoting student success. The Delphi Award is generously funded by the TIAA Institute.
Excellence in Assessment Designation
The Excellence in Assessment (EIA) designation, the first national initiative of its kind, recognizes institutions that successfully integrate assessment practices throughout the institution, provide evidence of student learning outcomes, and use assessment results to guide institutional decision-making and improve student performance.