Board begins long-term planning for BSC, BRIC
By Joey Caraway, September 29, 2026
Associated Students Inc.’s Board of Directors on Sept. 25 discussed its partnership with Brailsford & Dunlavey to begin long-term planning, primarily for the Bronco Student Center and the Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex.
B&D is a consulting firm that helps universities plan campus facilities, hired by ASI. According to Senator Pro Tempore Sahil Hotchandani, the goal is not just to address immediate facility needs, but to plan for the next 10, 20 or 30 years, while making sure ASI is positioned for success.
Hotchandani said the framework B&D presented to ASI focuses on affordability, academic and career preparation, experiential learning and creating an inclusive and accessible environment for students.
“The … central question they (B&D) focused on during their presentations is, ‘How do we invest in our students and make sure we keep our facilities today while being responsible long term?’” Hotchandani said.
ASI plays an important role in this process because a lot of the student experiences on campus run through ASI events and activities, according to Hotchandani.
According to Hotchandani, B&D started work early August, touring facilities, reviewing financial statements and beginning stakeholder conversations with ASI. In October, Hotchandani said he hopes ASI receives financial models and further recommendations.
B&D considered trends including flexible study and co-working spaces, wellness and relaxation spaces, different food and retail concepts, such as cashless, self-service and grab-and-go food spots, better use of outdoor areas, basic needs and cultural spaces, according to Hotchandani. B&D also emphasized flexible, technology-enabled event spaces and esports, aiming to improve outdated, underused and overcrowded facilities.
“We should be looking at what spaces, services and amenities could help improve the student experience and improve how students are able to learn, connect and engage on campus,” Hotchandani said.
According to Hotchandani, since Cal Poly Pomona is primarily a commuter campus, B&D emphasized making students feel more comfortable on campus with recreational spaces that encourage students to spend more time at CPP.
“Not only did I experience the lack of relaxation spaces, but I’ve heard from many of my other peers that are commuters; when they come to school, they have long gaps between their classes,” said College of Science Senator Lily Kang. “For example, let’s say they have a class at one and then the other ones at five. Within those four minutes (hours) it’s kind of an awkward time for them to go back to where they live and come back.”
ASI discussed several ideas to mitigate these issues including nap pods, increased shade, comfortable seating in both indoor and outdoor areas, a stage for student performances outside of the BSC and renovating the area outside of The Patio by Innovation Brew Works. However, no concrete decisions have been made yet.
“I think that there is a possibility there for it (the outside of the BSC) to be more of a community center,” said College of Agriculture Senator Madison Navarro.
ASI also discussed the popularity of the BRIC’s fitness classes, especially Pilates, which make it difficult to get a reservation, according to College of Letters, Arts & Social Sciences Senator Ruth Rocha. Adding more classes with increased funding for these programs would give students more wellness opportunities during their long breaks, Rocha said.
Rocha said some ASI resources, such as the BRIC and Poly Pantry, are underutilized due to a lack of awareness. She suggested tabling sessions targeting colleges that use the resources less frequently as one way to increase awareness.
“I have an engineering friend who is an orientation leader going into her fourth year,” Rocha said. “It was her first time going into the BRIC, and she asks me, ‘Do I have to pay for it?’ That is not the student’s fault. That’s ASI’s fault.”
According to Navarro, outreach is especially important for transfer students, commuter students and students who attend classes farther from the BSC and BRIC, such as CPP’s colleges of engineering and agriculture. Navarro said adding more recreational spaces throughout campus and making connections with ASI centers allows students to discover helpful resources.
ASI also discussed its search for a university liaison, which is a representative that would help different groups or organizations work together and share information. ASI Vice President Kimora-Aoki Morley said the Bronco Leadership Center, which was its original choice, denied ASI’s request to serve as liaison, so ASI pivoted to the Broncos Care Center, the Office of Community and Belonging and Parking and Transportation Services, where it is still waiting on responses.
Besides the BLC denying ASI’s request to be a liaison, ASI board members, including College of Engineering Senator Yusuf Sadiq, have had previous issues with the BLC.
“They’re in charge of all our events,” Sadiq said. “We have to send them so many different things that they need all ahead of time and these guys have poor communication. They never get back to us on what they need. When they do communicate with us, it’s last minute, and it puts the entire club at a race to get everything done and when they do mess up, there’s nobody to hold them accountable.”
Sadiq suggested consequences for repeated mistakes or having a BLC representative at meetings to discuss issues with how its actions are affecting clubs.
Morley said ASI can only have conversations with the BLC and does not have the ability to punish it, as that is the university’s role, prompting Sadiq to suggest discussing BLC grievances at the next meeting.
The next ASI Board of Directors meeting is at 11 a.m. Oct. 2 in the England Evans room in the BSC or through Zoom.
