Education

Butte College Opens $73 Million Science Building, Enhances Education

Butte College Opens $73 Million Science Building, Enhances Education
Editorial
  • PublishedAugust 16, 2025

The grand opening of Butte College’s new Science Building on August 15, 2025, marks a significant investment in education, with the facility costing a total of $73 million. This expansion will enhance the college’s science programs and accommodate growing student demand, allowing for more classes and shorter waitlists.

During the opening ceremony in Butte Valley, attendees toured the expansive 77,000-square-foot facility, featuring specialized laboratories, classrooms, and even a dedicated cadaver room. Biology professor Jill Terra introduced visitors to the cadaver room, showcasing how the new space allows for a more comprehensive anatomy curriculum. Previously, the college could only offer its cadaver class once a year with one body. With the new building’s resources, the course will now be available twice a year, utilizing two cadavers for a more inclusive learning experience.

The Science Building includes 21 specialized labs and two classrooms designed for chemistry, biology, anatomy, physics, and geology. It also features a 2,400-square-foot planetarium, which will allow for innovative teaching methods in astronomy. This facility upgrade is a response to the increasing enrollment in science programs, with approximately 1,200 students currently majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), representing 9% of the total 14,000 student population.

Butte College President Virginia Guleff expressed the importance of the new building, stating, “Our classes have had waitlists and have been impacted for a very long time. This allows us to really keep that waitlist in check.” The college plans to hire seven new science faculty to accommodate the increased enrollment and enhance the educational experience.

Funding for the new Science Building came exclusively from Measure J, a $190 million bond passed in 2016 aimed at improving facilities within the Butte-Glenn Community College District. Facilities Director Kim Jones, who has been planning the building since 2010, highlighted its key features, including student and faculty workspaces and 38 faculty offices.

Professor Danielle Gray discussed the innovative “studio style” classroom setup, which integrates labs with lectures, allowing for more engaging and interactive learning experiences. “It integrates the experience,” Gray noted. “We can spend more time with students in longer chunks.”

The planetarium, led by astronomy professor Jason Trento, promises to provide unique educational experiences. During the grand opening, Trento demonstrated how the planetarium can transport students through the solar system, offering them a visual and interactive way to learn about astronomy.

Mayor of Oroville David Pittman praised the college’s growth, reflecting on its humble beginnings as a few portable classrooms in the 1970s. He remarked, “It’s come a long way,” underscoring the significance of the new infrastructure for the community and future generations of students.

With the opening of the Science Building, Butte College aims to not only enhance its science curriculum but also foster a deeper understanding of the subjects among its diverse student body. The investment is expected to have a lasting impact on education within the region.

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