Hollowell and Mathios End Service to MSCHE as Commissioners

After six plus years on the Commission, Mr. David Hollowell and Dr. Alan Mathios officially ended their terms with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) on Dec. 31, 2020.

“Both Dave and Alan have been stewards of our organization and have served as advocates for the value of accreditation that it makes their leaving hit especially hard,” remarked MSCHE President Dr. Heather F. Perfetti during the Commission’s meeting on November 19, 2020, at which time the Commission recognized their dedication.

Mr. Hollowell, who was originally appointed in 2014 to fill an unexpired term, was elected to the Commission from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2020. He was a member of the Executive Committee from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2020; and Chair of the Finance Committee and Treasurer from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2020. Over the course of his service to MSCHE, he acted as a peer evaluator for over 50 institutions, including roles as a member of self-study evaluation teams, a financial reviewer for numerous Periodic Review Reports, and as a consultant on various complex substantive change requests. In addition, Mr. Hollowell played important roles as a task force member for accreditation processes in 2001 and as a member of the Steering Committee in charge of the standards review in 2013. Mr. Hollowell has been retired from the University of Delaware since 2008 and holds the title of Executive Vice President and Treasurer Emeritus. He also served on the board of the Middles States Association (January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2007) and is a former President of the Society for College and University Planning and received SCUP’s Distinguished Service Award.

“What I have learned about Dave is that he may appear as a man of few words, but when he speaks, he truly has something to contribute and everyone wants to listen,” said Dr. Perfetti. “He has been a mentor to so many, offering guidance and friendship.  His legacy lives on through this Commission, and we are most appreciative for this legacy that will benefit us and our institutions for years to come.”

Dr. Mathios also joined the Commission as an appointment in 2014 to fill an unexpired term and was elected to the Commission from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2020. He became a member of the Executive Committee and corporate secretary serving from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2020. Additional contributions to the Commission included his service on the Committee on Evaluation Reports from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2018 and chairing or co-chairing four evaluation teams. Dr. Mathios presented as a plenary speaker and workshop facilitator for the 2011 and 2012 Self-Study Institutes. Currently a Professor in the Department of Policy Analysis and Management in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University, he is a co-editor of the Journal of Consumer Policy and on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Consumer Affairs and the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. Dr. Mathios also has past experience from the institutional perspective as a co-chair for Cornell’s Middle States Self-Study Accreditation Committee as well as the co-chair for the University’s Periodic Review Report Committee.

“I have come to know Alan through his service on Executive Committee, and we never needed him more than we did this year. He remained attuned to the COVID-19 impacts and paid close attention to the changing dynamics,” said Dr. Perfetti. “… his focus was never simply on his team or his team visit … he offered a holistic analysis of the work we do and what we were asking of (Executive Committee) with every issue we brought to them.”

Through the virtual farewell, Dr. Perfetti left the door open for both Commissioners to continue to contribute to the work of MSCHE.

“On behalf of the entire Commission, I sincerely thank both David and Alan, wish you well, and can say with confidence that we will be calling upon you to continue to support the work we do,” Dr. Perfetti said.

In addition, the Commission also noted that Dr. Herman Beavers, Professor of English and Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, had announced in September 2020 that he had stepped down from the Commission for professional reasons. Dr. Beavers was in his second term with the Commission.