Mark Hoffman will step down from his position as director of the Collis Student Center and Student Activities on August 20, leaving the College to move to Chicago.
Hoffman, who has filled those posts since January, 1997, said he is moving with his partner, who is beginning an internship related to a doctoral program in psychology.
"I've always wanted to live in Chicago, because of the diversity but it's definitely not because I'm dissatisfied with working with students or Dartmouth," Hoffman said.
Dean of Student Life Holly Sateia said the College will most likely begin a search for Hoffman's replacement during the Fall term so that as many students as possible can have input on it. She said other College employees will fill his position's duties from August 20 until he is replaced.
Hoffman is searching for a job in Chicago, and said he hopes to continue to work in higher education and interact with students.
In an interview with the Dartmouth conducted the day after he started his positions in 1997, Hoffman said he hoped to "make Collis a place to hang out, a destination, as opposed to a place to stop and go on the way somewhere" - and in an interview last week, he said that accomplishment is what he is most proud of.
"I wanted to change the role of Collis from a passageway to a destination," Hoffman said, adding that many students have said to him that, two years ago, they never would have thought they would walk into Collis at 1 a.m. on a Saturday night, and now they go there "all the time."
Hoffman cited the creation of the Big Green Bean, the renovations to the billiards room, and elimination of a charge to use the billiards room as three changes that have attracted more students to Collis.
He also mentioned the expanded services at the Collis information desk, the "Election Update" - a newsletter that is sent to students prior to annual Student Assembly elections - and expanded family weekend programming as other services that he and his staff accomplished during his time at the College.
Hoffman said the next director of the Collis Student Center and Student Activities will probably play a role in helping shape the outcome of the Social and Residential Life Initiative.
"I think Collis and Student Activities will be at the center of a lot of the Trustees' Initiative in terms of social life," Hoffman said.
He said discussions of ideas about linking Collis, Robinson Hall and Thayer Dining Hall to create social space, as well as increasing programming services, have already begun.
Hoffman said he also thinks the Collis Cafe may eventually be open on the weekends again, if the funding to keep it open becomes available.
