About the Student Unions
Experience campus life at the University of Arizona Student Unions with diverse dining, welcoming spaces, and exciting activities. Join us and thrive!
Welcome to the University of Arizona Student Unions! The Student Unions is the vibrant heart of our campus, serving as your kitchen and living room away from home. Here, you can find a variety of dining options to suit every palate, spaces to unwind and relax, and numerous activities to engage in. Whether you're looking to join a club, participate in cultural events, or simply enjoy a game with friends, the Student Unions offer something for everyone. We are dedicated to creating a welcoming environment that balances the educational, recreational, cultural, and social needs of our diverse student body. Come and make the most of your university experience with us!
Our Mission
At the Arizona Student Unions, our mission is to nourish the University of Arizona community, provide inclusive environments to connect and engage with others, and foster student success through a wide range of programs, services, and opportunities.
Nourishing the Campus Community
We are a self-operated Student Union, dedicated to fueling the campus community by providing nutritious and convenient dining options. Arizona Dining serves around 30,000 meals daily across 30+ kitchens on campus, while Arizona Catering & Events Co. supports around 4,000 events annually. We take pride in nourishing and energizing the U of A community!
Providing Inclusive Environments
At the heart of campus life, the Student Unions enhances the academic experience with cultural, social, and recreational programs that foster connection and well-being. Hosting over 200 programs annually we support student clubs/organizations with spaces to gather. Our vibrant campus also features numerous events on the Mall, making it a central hub for involvement and community engagement.
Fostering Student
Success
The Student Unions operates 600,000 sq. ft of space across campus, with the SUMC hosting key services like Meal Plans, CatCard, and the Basic Needs Center. Welcoming over 52,000 daily visitors, we employ 970 students annually, and house resources such as the Transfer Student Center, VETS Center, and Counseling & Psych Services, supporting student success both inside and outside the classroom.
Our History
Where We Started
In 1946, the UA Alumni Association began a state-wide campaign to organize and raise funds for a Student Union on campus. The campaign raised approximately one-third of the project's cost. Another third came from bonds, and the final third, for food services, was contributed by the legislature. On November 17, 1951 the Memorial Student Union was dedicated, and its commemorative bronze plaque read:
The Memorial Student Union building was a monument not only to the 283 war dead whose names are inscribed on the plaque below the dedication but also to the men who went down with the USS Arizona on that fateful day, December 7, 1941, and to those who died in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. The sculpture on the front of the building personifies the devotion and courage displayed by the men who ardently defended our cherished freedom. The bell in the Union tower was taken from the sunken USS Arizona.
Since 1951, the Student Unions has served the University of Arizona community. From hosting meetings, special events, and conferences to feeding hungry college students and visiting guests, we are indeed the living room (and kitchen) of our institution. Unlike other departments and units of the university, the Student Unions does not receive money from either the State of Arizona tax dollar or Federal Government subsidies. We do receive a portion of student fees to assist with the daily operations of a self-supporting organization.
Where We Are Now
In 1999, construction began to completely rebuild the Memorial Student Union. This three-year, two-phase, $60 million construction project utilized the old building’s existing footprint and expanded it from 274,500 square feet to 405,00 square feet, all while the Student Unions team maintained uninterrupted food service to the university community.
The east portion of the original building was torn down first, while the bookstore and foodservice operations in the west section continued to service customers. The majority of foodservice construction occurred in phase one from August 1999 to September 2001. In phase two, the middle and west sections of the original building were torn down, and new ballrooms, meeting rooms, theater/auditorium, and additional foodservice operations were completed in December 2002. A week-long Grand Opening Celebration for the new Student Union Memorial Center (SUMC) was held in February 2003 and the new building continues to serve the students and campus community from the heart of campus.
A Building With Meaning
The structure of the Student Union Memorial Center (SUMC) represents the U.S.S. Arizona Battleship. An outdoor walkway known as “The Canyon” runs between the east and west sides of the building. The east wall of the canyon is curved to replicate the silhouette of the U.S.S. Arizona. Enclosing a grand stairway and culminating in a canted circular lid, the cylindrical drum is intended to be an allusion to the shape of the U.S.S. Arizona’s main gun turret. The bell tower represents a mast and sail. Access walks on the battleship’s bridge are abstracted in the form of three curving elevator balconies.
The Student Unions is honored to house one of two original bells salvaged from the U.S.S. ARIZONA in 1941. In 1944, Wilber L. Bill Bowers, UA Class of 1927, discovered this bell about to be melted down at the Puget Sound Naval Yard in Bremerton, Washington. Bowers saved the bell from destruction and was instrumental in acquiring the bell for the University of Arizona shortly after World War II.
The U.S.S. Arizona bell is preserved in the Student Unions tower and is dedicated to the memory of the men who lost their lives on the battleship Arizona in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The other original bell is on display in the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.