Butte 305 is a fully functional lab, research, collections, seminar, and meeting room that has been at the heart of the Anthropology department for more than four decades. With reference teaching and research collections, maps, artifacts, large-scale photographs, and a range of information technology and video and sound equipment, it has been fully configured and equipped effectively at low cost with grants from BSS and contributions from faculty, staff, and graduate and undergraduate students over many years. The four tables joined in the center function well as a project worktable and for seminar and committee meetings, but can also be broken into separate stations as helpful. Standard stackable chairs allow flexible use of the room up to its fire cap number.
The room has extensive lab functionality through its four Macintosh computer workstations, including two specially adapted for video production and editing. With connections to a laser printer and a scanner, there is easy projection to a large screen, as well as a DVD and VHS player and high-quality studio sound monitors. There is also a lectern and a separate rolling projection station with a dedicated PC laptop, DVD and VHS player, and studio sound monitors. A video review, editing, and duplication workstation occupy the northwest corner of the room, along with hundreds of cataloged department anthropology videos for teaching and research use.
There is a substantial indexed book and journal library along the south wall, built over years through faculty and student contributions. There are maps of world regions on pull-down mounts, and large-scale photographs documenting faculty research and our Visual Anthropology program. There's a tall steel filing cabinet, and a large broad-format chest-high wooden cabinet with sliding drawers for maps, documents, and smaller artifacts. There is loaned Polynesian sculpture and craftwork on display on this cabinet and along the top of the bookshelves.
Among the many department activities and projects that the room makes possible and supports:
- Research, teaching preparation, seminars, workshops, and meetings in a room fully dedicated to our discipline
- Student research spaces, study carrels, and minor but treasured storage for many projects and activities
- Computers with a full range of software, including specialized licensed research applications such as ArcGIS and SPSS
- Video projection and conferencing on a large screen
- Laser printing and scanning
- Video screening, editing, transfer, and fair use duplication
- Central location for department video library, and for selected books and journals
- Department workshops of all kinds
- Film screenings
- Photographic and other research exhibitions
- Department tutoring
- ISA and TA office hours
- Thesis defenses
- Department faculty meetings
- Search committee meetings and interviews
- Other committee meetings of all kinds, for which we have no other suitable venue
- Skyped interviews with off-campus scholars
- Guest virtual lectures.
- Meetings and activities of the Anthropology Graduate Student Association (AGSA)
- Meetings and activities of the Chico Anthropological Society (CAS), our department undergraduate club
- Meeting and workspace for ongoing student and faculty research projects