FAQ's about the Project

The Student Union Fee is paid by students each semester. The funds collected from the fee are utilized for maintenance, operations, improvements, and debt service on the University Center and Commons. 
We agree with you and love the existing facility.  However, the building is undersized and dated for students’ current needs. By renovating and expanding, the building will be able to expand dining offerings, increase lounge spaces, and provide more spaces for our student organizations.
We agree with you and love the existing facility. However, the building is undersized and dated for students’ current needs. By renovating, the UC will be able to expand dining offerings, increase lounge spaces, and provide more spaces for student organizations and events. 

The University Center is currently very undersized for our student population; for instance, in 2004 when Connection Café was built, UTA’s student population was ~25,000. Today, some twenty years later, UTA’s student population is 41,000+, but the UC has not undergone significant growth or change. In short, we currently cannot accommodate the demand for meeting spaces, lounge space, study space, dining spaces, and even office space. To make matters worse, much of the existing infrastructure is well past its useful life, a renovation and expansion is needed.
The UC is the hub of campus life of all UTA students regardless of classification. The fee increase is $111 which is less than the cost of one textbook. For that you’ll be getting a whole New UC with all these great new amenities which will increase the value of your degree from UTA leaving a permanent legacy for future UTA students.

  • Become a visible representation of school spirit and tradition for Maverick Country

  • Modernized student lounge spaces with increased and varied seating options

  • New student meeting spaces located prominently throughout the building

  • Dedicated resource center with office spaces for student organization office spaces

  • Study spaces for individual and/or group use

  • More and enhanced dining options with increased and improved seating options

  • More natural light throughout the building

  • Improved wayfinding and visual site lines 

  • Improved technology throughout, to include meeting rooms and common spaces

  • Sustainably designed facility with a focus toward carbon neutral

  • Infrastructure improvements / renewal

Yes. We are currently exploring business arrangements as well as negotiating potential agreements that might help in this effort. We are pursuing these options, but it won’t be enough which is why we’re asking the students for help. We will continue to work with alumni and donors for support as well. 
Yes, as part of the renovation and expansion we would focus on the student experience.  There would be additional study spaces, both individual and group sized spaces.  There would be additional lounge and entertainment space for students to enjoy between classes or afterward.
Currently student organizations have a difficult time securing needed space for general body meetings, programs, special events, and the like.  As part of an expansion, there would be an increase in meeting space for students.  In addition, there is currently no dedicated space for most student organizations to store organizational items.
Assuming a positive outcome in campus elections, we would begin working on the construction documents for the project.  This process will take approximately one year to complete.  After that, construction would start and take about two and a half years to complete.
This will be a design build project which means that the design for the project will be occurring at the same time as the construction.  We will be under construction for approximately 2 ½  years in total.  The lesser renovated items (Bluebonnet and Connection Café) would most likely happen afterward over a summer time period.

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