MIssion and history

As early as 1946, William Tate, then dean of men at UGA, expressed a need for a new student center, as the number and variety of student activities had outgrown the capacity of the then-current facility, Memorial Hall. It was 23 years before planning for Phase I of the center would commence and another 12 years of development before the first bits of earth were moved on the site adjacent to Sanford Stadium.

On January 28, 1981, a crowd of administrators, staff, students and visiting dignitaries braved chilly temperatures as UGA President Fred C. Davison led the groundbreaking ceremony. University officials, in consultation with the Board of Regents, decided that the new center would be named in memory of the beloved administrator who had first conceived it. Dean Tate had passed away the previous year. On October 20, 1983, the Dean William Tate Student Center was dedicated and officially opened.

The student center was built for the benefit of the entire University community and quickly became the “heart” of student activity on campus. For nearly three decades, the many programs and services housed within Tate have been designed to meet the social, cultural and recreational needs of UGA’s student body.

The $58-million Tate Student Center expansion and renovation project drastically increased space for student programs and activities. The project was funded by a $25-per-semester increase in the student activity fee; the increase was approved by the student body via referendum vote during spring semester 2005.

The expansion opened its doors to the University community on June 1, 2009. Incoming first-year students and their parents were among the first to see the new facility as part of summer orientation. On August 20, 2009 UGA President Michael F. Adams led a gathering of faculty, staff, administrators and students in cutting the ribbon, officially dedicating the expanded facility.

Tate celebrated its 30th anniversary on October 23, 2013 with a day of activities for students, faculty and staff. A ceremony was held on Tate Plaza in the morning, and a cookout was held that afternoon. Inside Tate, the original 1983-era gameroom was recreated, vintage images were posted throughout the building, and the Tate Art Wall was covered with a large display of photos and newspaper articles.

With 200,000 square feet of space, the Tate Student Center features meeting rooms, multiple dining options, numerous lounges and gathering spaces, administrative offices and a 12,000 square-foot multipurpose room for large scale activities and events. Nearly three million people pass through Tate’s doors each year. The Tate Student Center is among the finest facilities of its kind and will continue to be a point of pride for current and future generations of UGA students.