Facility Reservation & Use Policy

The primary purpose of the building is to provide classroom, research, and study space; however, several areas in the Miller Learning Center are conducive to hosting events. Reservation of these spaces is through the Miller Learning Center by submitting the online request form or contacting Chris Dial. Failure to comply with Miller Learning Center and University policies or Federal, State and local law may result in the cancellation of future reservations and/or restriction from the use of Miller Learning Center facilities. Discrimination in the use of these facilities regarding disability, race, religion or nationality is prohibited.

Please note that because of the academic nature of this building, no activities will be scheduled in the event spaces during Midterms, the week before and the week of Final Exams so that all of these spaces will be available for quiet study during these periods.

Who can reserve an Event Space?

Only University of Georgia departments and registered student organizations are eligible to reserve event spaces in the MLC. These departments and organizations are fully responsible for coordination of the event, compliance with the policies and procedures outlined below, and damage to facilities and equipment during their event. Someone from the sponsoring department or student organization must be on site during the reservation time, including setup, to assist with the coordination. If it is necessary for MLC staff to coordinate the event, an administration fee of up to $200.00 will be assessed.

Failure to comply with the Miller Learning Center conduct policy, University of Georgia policies, or federal, state and local laws may result in the cancellation of future reservations and/or restriction from the use of Miller Learning Center facilities. Discrimination in the use of these facilities regarding disability, race, religion or nationality is prohibited.

What types of events can be held in the MLC?

UGA events: events arranged by a registered student organization or UGA department. Reservations must be requested by members of the student organization or University faculty/staff. Attendance is limited to students or University personnel.
UGA-related events: events arranged by a registered student organization or UGA department. Attendance is not limited to University personnel or students.
Private events: The Miller Learning Center is not available for private events or commercial solicitation.

What event spaces are available to be reserved? What cost is associated with a reservation?

Please view our table of available spaces along with their associated fees. After we receive your submitted request form, we will contact you to make sure our space meets your event needs.

What other charges might apply to my event?

Room Reset Fee - Furniture that has been rearranged and not put back into the original room layout may be subject to a room reset fee of up to $300 or the charge for FMD Support Services to reset the space.

Administrative Fee - Event host must be onsite for any deliveries such as catering, furniture, equipment, etc. If you cannot be there for a delivery and you need us to step in to guild set-up for the event, an administrative fee will be added. This fee can be applied to other miscellaneous services requested by the event.

Late Cancelation fee - Cancelations must be made at least 3 business days before the date of your event. If not, you will be subject to the late cancellation charge, which is half of the reservation fee.

Day of Cancelation - Cancelations made within 24 hours of the event's start time will be subject to the full reservation fee.

FMD Cleaning - FMD will assess the event space after the event has taken place. If the space requires cleaning before returning to standard use, FMD will clean the space and the group/department will be charged a cleaning fee of $35.00 per hour / per custodian to clean the space.

Damages - Any damage caused by the event to university property, will be charged for the replacement or repair of that property.

**The reservation charge does not reflect any services or equipment obtained through other departments such as CTL equipment rental or FMD Support Services.

How can I pay Event Space fees?

Speedtype - Payment will be initiated via our office, and the charge will need to be accepted via UGA Financials.
Chart String - Payment will be initiated via our office, and the charge will need to be accepted via UGA Financials.
Card - Pay by credit or debit card via the MLC estore.
Check - Payment can be made in person at MLC 204 or mailed.
- Checks should be made out to UGA Libraries Miller Learning Center.
- Mail checks to:
  - Miller Learning Center
    Office 204
    48 Baxter Street
    Athens, GA 30602

How far in advance should I place a request? What if I need to cancel?

Event spaces must be reserved at least five business days prior to the event and may be reserved no more than six months in advance of the event. If an event requires an early opening or late closing, it must be made at least ten business days prior to the reservation to ensure proper building staffing.

Exceptions to this priority schedule will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. These exceptions must be requested in writing to Chris Dial and should include details such as conferences and events that need to be publicized over six months in advance.

Event spaces in the MLC are considered special event meeting spaces. To ensure we have spaces available for special events throughout the entirety of each semester, we will not schedule long-term, regular or recurring meetings or events in this space.

Cancellations must be made 3 full business days in advance of the event to avoid paying a late cancellation fee and/or any pre-arranged furniture or security fees. Cancellations received less than 3 full days in advance of the event will be charged 1/2 of the reservation fee and additional charges that may apply. No-show or cancellations made the day of the event will be charged the full reservation fee and any additional charges that may apply.

What about home Football Game Days?

The MLC accepts requests for Home Football/Game Day Reservations from University Departments and Student Organizations only. No private events are allowed. All requests will be reviewed on a case by case basis and approval will be determined based on (but not limited to) the following factors:

Location(s) being requested
Furniture needs (Inside events only)
Time of event
Number of attendees
Presence of food/caterer
Presence of alcohol
Security presence required
Set-up/Tear-down time needed
Set-up/Tear-down assistance required
MLC administrative presence required
Clean-up required

A request for MLC event space on game days is not approved or finalized until you receive a reservation confirmation. Depending on the magnitude of your event, a meeting with MLC Administration may be necessary prior to approving your event.

If an event approval is granted, base pricing for gamedays will be charged at the amounts listed here. Additional charges will be determined based on (but not limited too) the factors listed above to cover staffing and clean-up costs. A FMD cleaning fee or a catering fee will be applied to ALL game day reservations. In addition to the event space and cleaning fees, other charges may apply.

Furniture for outside event spaces will not be provided by the MLC. The customer must make arrangements for furniture to be delivered, set-up and picked up by FMD or provide their own. Find out more information on equipment at FMD's site. All FMD charges will be billed separately.

The customer/representative from the University Department or Student Organization must be onsite to meet with FMD, caterer or any other outside entity when requested items are delivered and picked up. The MLC is not responsible for any missing or stolen items. Approval to deliver/pick up off of Baldwin Street in the turnaround between Fine Arts and Military Science must be obtained from the UGA Police Department (706-542-2200 or at Gameday Gameplan - select "Police & Campus Policy Questions").

This policy is for MLC Event Spaces only. If you are wanting to reserve an MLC Classroom on a game day, you will need to contact the Campus Reservations Office in the Tate Center.

All UGA Game Day Policies must be followed.

Please start your request by filling out the MLC Event Reservation Form. We will follow-up with you about questions, approval status, and pricing within a week.

How do I request use of the building outside of normal Operating Hours, on Holidays, or when the building is Closed?

Requests to use the building outside of normal operating hours will require MLC security personnel to be on duty and must be made at least 10 business days prior to the event. If approved, two (2) MLC security staff will be required to be on duty throughout the course of the event at a rate of $15 per hour, per security staff ($30 per hour). There will be a minimum charge of $90 for early openings outside of normal operating hours. Cancellation of this request must be made by calling 706-542-7000 at least 3 full business days before the event to avoid paying these charges.

Requests to use the building during UGA Holidays or dates that the MLC is scheduled to be closed must be considered and approved before any reservation is made. If approved, two (2) MLC security staff will be required to be on duty throughout the course of the event and additional charges will apply to pay for their time. There will be a minimum 4 hour charge for UGA events and an 8 hour minimum for UGA affiliated events. Cancellation of this request must be made by calling 706-542-7000 at least 3 full business days before the event to avoid paying these charges.

MLC administrators reserve the right to close the building and cancel all activities if necessary due to emergency situations and/or inclement weather. If UGA makes the decision to close due to inclement weather, the MLC will also close. When a decision has to be made outside of normal business hours and/or class time to close the MLC, MLC administrators will announce their decision via the in house intercom system.

What furniture and equipment is available?

Please see our full list of resources available for our event spaces.

Presentation, Audio Visual Equipment: The event spaces in the Miller Learning Center do not come equipped with audio/visual technology. The inability to darken the natural light in these spaces can make viewing challenging. Due to the close proximity of the events spaces and classrooms, amplified sound units or other noisy activities must be approved at the time of the reservation request. It is necessary for all activities in the building to coexist therefore approval will only be granted if the MLC staff feels that your request will not disrupt other activities in the building.

Furniture: Furniture in the event spaces may be rearranged as needed within reason. Failure to leave a room as it was found may result in a reset fee. This fee will be assessed depending on the number of people and time it take to reset the space.

To arrange for furniture to be rearranged before and after events please contact FMD Support Services.

What food, catering, or decorations are permitted and available?

Food is allowed in the event spaces. Use of tobacco products is prohibited. Due to the academic nature of the building, alcohol is prohibited without prior approval. To request approval to serve alcohol at an event, contact Chris Dial. With the inclusion of food with your event, a $100 catering fee will be added to your reservation. This fee will be applied to the FMD cleaning fee charged at the conclusion of your event. If the cleaning fee is more than $100, additional charges may apply.

The cherry tables in the MLC must not be used to serve food in order to prevent damage to the wood finishes. Folding tables must be requested for this purpose, you can do this in the reservation form or by contacting Chris Dial. In some cases, arrangements can be made to use existing tables with proper protective covering. These coverings must protect the wood from all hot or cold elements and also moisture. It is important that all caterers are aware of this policy. Damage to the cherry wood furniture caused during an event will be assessed and the sponsoring UGA department or student organization will be responsible.

Sponsoring departments or organizations are welcome to cater events themselves, use Tate Center Catering or an outside caterer. Prior approval and arrangements for use of food during an event must be received at the time of the reservation request. This ensures that MLC staff knows the caterer who will be handling the event and can direct them to the proper event location when necessary.

Caterers should be aware that the MLC does not have appropriate “set-up” areas for food preparation; food should be prepared off-site and ready to serve. MLC staff can assist caterers in finding a staging area near the event space for carts, trays, and additional food if needed.

Off-campus Caterers should be made aware that they must have approval to park on campus. The MLC loading dock can be used for loading/unloading but not for long time parking. The sponsoring Department or Student Organization must make arrangements with the MLC to gain access through the MLC Loading Dock Gate for their caterer. These arrangements should be made at least 3 business days in advance. The MLC is not responsible for any ticket and/or towing charges that could occur. It is the sponsoring department or student organizations responsibility to arrange parking through UGA Parking Services.

Use of anything that could damage or deface the facility is prohibited, including, but not limited to, open flame, painting, taping, stapling, gluing, nailing, glitter and stickers. Failure to comply with this policy will result in the department, sponsoring organization or individual paying for the repairs and/or clean up fees.