Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges started classes Monday with a significant boost in student enrollment — a 7 percent overall increase at the three campuses.

At Ventura College, the bookstore was so crowded people had to wait to get in. Over at the administration building, lines reached out the door as dozens of students waited to register, add classes or pay fees.

Heather Weir, 17, was there, hoping to add classes in child development and math. The campus seemed more crowded than last year, and parking "definitely was hard," said Weir, who lives in Camarillo.

Like most students, however, Weir didn't seem terribly bothered by the first-day crowds.

"It just happens," she said. "You gotta go with the flow."

A total of 32,760 students have enrolled so far this fall at the three campuses. College officials attribute the growth to the faltering economy, saying people take classes to improve their job prospects when times are tough.

"We find whenever the economy is down, our enrollment goes up," said Sue Johnson, vice chancellor of business and administrative services for the Ventura County Community College District. "That's a pretty traditional response."

Oxnard College had the biggest increase in student enrollment when compared with fall 2007 — 8 percent. At Ventura College, it was 7.5 percent, and at Moorpark College, 6 percent.

In response to that growth, the colleges have added courses and programs where they see a need. At the same time, they are filling classes to capacity before adding sections and cutting back on less popular classes, in response to the tight state budget, Johnson said.

Nearly 1,000 students have taken advantage of the Ventura College Promise this fall, said Norbert Tan, executive director of the Ventura College Foundation. The scholarship program pays fees for the first year at Ventura College for all recent local high school graduates, regardless of family income.

For the first time, Ventura College is pairing two related classes, American history and American government, in what it calls a "learning community." Under the interdisciplinary program, students take the two courses back to back, in the same room with the same books and syllabus.

Moorpark College is introducing the Masterworks Chorale, a Tuesday evening class for singers who want to perform in this area. The chorale's first performance is planned for this fall.

Oxnard College is offering more online classes that can be transferred to the CSU and UC systems. Those classes include introduction to philosophy, intermediate algebra, biological anthropology and elements of physical geography.

Registration is still open at all three campuses, with classes also starting in September, October and November. Online, weekend, evening and short-term courses are available. Students can apply and register online or in person. Fees are $20 per unit.

On the Net:

http://www.vcccd.edu