Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins will leave Brandeis effective at the end of this calendar year, according to an email announcement sent to the Brandeis community on Friday by Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Steven Manos.

While neither Manos' email nor Collins cited a specific reason for the departure, Collins did express his gratitude to the University.

"I've heard from a lot of people since Friday, and I'm just incredibly humbled by what I've heard from people in email and in person," said Collins in an interview with the Justice. "It's been a great run for 27 years here. And I just thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm very much optimistic about the future."

According to Manos' email, Collins "has chosen to take advantage of other professional opportunities" after his term at Brandeis comes to a close.

"At present I'm just exploring options," said Collins, when asked about these opportunities. "I'm actually ... going to go to Florida in January for a month or two and spend some time thinking about what I may want to do in the future."

Collins joined Brandeis in 1987 as purchasing manager, according to Manos' email, and rose through the ranks, gradually taking on more responsibility in the facilities and campus operations areas. He was promoted to senior vice president in 2010.

"Mark [Collins] has been a tireless advocate for making Brandeis a more attractive campus and for modernizing our facilities," wrote Manos of Collins' work.

"His number one goal was to contribute to making Brandeis a safe and comfortable environment for our ... community of faculty, students, staff, neighbors, and visitors," Manos continued.

Other administrators also spoke about Collins' time at the University and his dedication. "The Brandeis campus owes a great deal to Mark's stewardship and strong relationships across all segments of our community," the email continued, quoting University President Frederick Lawrence. "He has been responsible for providing the most essential and often least appreciated services to the campus and we are grateful for all that he has done."

There will be a reception in Collins' honor during the week of Dec. 2, according to the email. An announcement will be made with more specific details in the coming weeks.

At the Student Union Senate's regular Sunday meeting, Student Union Vice President Charlotte Franco '15 urged senators to attend the recetion. "I hope that we can all conjure up support to have as many students go and show support for Mark Collins, because he really has been a really big advocate for the student body during his tenure here," she said.