American River College’s Associated Student Body heard from Student Services about plans to relocate seven of the eight homebases to the Learning Resource Center next spring during its Sept. 19 meeting. ASB also approved $1,100 for two upcoming events this semester.

David Miramontes-Quiñones, vice president of student services and equity, says the eight homebases originally launched with temporary funding, and currently there is only enough money to support three physical locations. By moving to the LRC, homebases can remain in service and provide support to students while maintaining their uniqueness.

“The LRC is open later in the evenings, so students will have more opportunities to connect with services after classes or work.” Miramontes-Quiñones said. “Most importantly, this move ensures the Homebase program is financially sustainable so students can count on it being here to support them now and in the future.”

Miramontes-Quiñones says the homebases will be moved to the left side of the LRC to ensure they are in a large centralized area that is not hidden from students. Additionally, they will be close to tutoring and the Writing Center.

The only homebase that will not be moving to the LRC is the Manufacturing, Construction, and Transportation Homebase, which will remain located in the Career Technician Education building.

“That new building was designed to have a homebase embedded in it,” Miramontes-Quiñones said. “MCT homebase faculty and students came forward to say it does not make sense for this homebase to be relocated.”

Miramontes-Quiñones says decisions about this move have not been finalized as ASB was their last stop before taking their plans to President Lisa Cardoza. If plans do get approved, transition planning and the launching of the new homebase area is expected to take place in Spring 2026.

Miramontes-Quiñones added that there has been talk about turning Davies Hall into a potential third location in 2029. 

Some members of the ASB, including Soraya Amin, student senate president, said moving the homebases would make it easier for students to find and utilize. Other senators, like Alonzo Smith, questioned if there would be enough space to give each homebase the same community feel.

“I work at the business homebase, so I have first hand experience of what homebases can do for students,” Smith said. “Homebases give students their own space to converse and talk to each other without the worry of what’s going on outside. It’s golden. When you stack them all together like that, it’s gonna be hard for them to be able to socialize.”

Angela Milano, vice president of instruction, says there have been concerns over space and noise from other students and faculty as well. As a solution, she says there might be potential opportunities for additional space to be utilized, such as hallways, for specialized homebase popups.

“We don’t have a perfect solution or answer to everything, all we know is we don’t have money and we need to do these things sooner than later,” Miramontes-Quiñones said.

Miramontes-Quiñones said tariffs will affect furniture delivery time, so getting plans approved soon is essential to the moving process. To ensure the homebase is furnished when the time comes, furniture will be pulled from current homebases and Davies Hall.

Planning continued for the ASB where they discussed two events coming up this semester, a Karaoke Midterm Mic Drop and a Tea Party Workshop.

The Tea Party will be held on Nov. 12 and 13, and it will feature a boba bar with 8Teas Bubble Tea Catering through an approved budget of $500.

As for the Midterm Mic Drop, it will be held on Oct. 24 in four themed community rooms. The themes include Disney and childhood movies, K-Pop, 2000s, and around the world. The approved budget for the event is $600.

During public commentary, students raised concerns about gender neutral bathrooms on campus.

Eddie Steep, employee at the Pride Center, says for the last six months every time they, or their fellow students, have tried to use the gender neutral bathrooms, they have frequently been locked.

“I’m not sure if this is an issue of students locking the door on the way out as a joke to be funny, or if the staff has not been unlocking the bathrooms, but I find this to be unacceptable.” Steep said. “It is very important that those bathrooms remain accessible to our students especially in a time where the US Government is doing so much to attack the trans and queer community.”

To email the student senate, visit their website here, or find a future meeting with their schedule here.