The largest-ever freshman class at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks got down to business Wednesday on the first day of the new academic year.

Five hundred first-year students have enrolled in the private university, 12 percent more than last year, officials said.

"The parking lots are a lot more full, and there's a lot more people walking around campus, so it's a little different," said Garrett Redd, 21, a junior majoring in business. "But it's fun to be back."

Chris Kimball is starting his first full academic year as CLU's president. He began the job April 1 after serving for two years as provost and vice president for academic affairs.

"In some ways, having more first-year students than we expected is a good problem to have, and thank goodness we had classes for all of them and beds for all of them. But that took a lot of work by people here on campus over the summer to make sure we were prepared. So it's a tight squeeze, but one we can manage," Kimball said.

University officials say the new students were chosen from the largest application pool in CLU history and are the most geographically diverse, representing 21 states and 15 countries.

Amy Atkinson from Colorado and Robyn Poynter from Arizona are freshmen roommates who were grabbing a bite to eat from the campus café before their noontime classes began Wednesday.

"I love it in California, and this is cool," said Atkinson, 18, who's studying sociology.

"It feels really good, and I'm excited for classes and just for everything to start," said Poynter, 19. "It's been a lot smoother than I anticipated, and I haven't really gotten too homesick, which is good."

Freshmen had four days of orientation, starting Saturday, with activities that kept them busy and introduced them to campus and Ventura County life.

They're a very fun group," Sally Sagen, assistant director of student life, said of the freshman class.

"I talk about this as my favorite time of the year, because we're welcoming new members of our family here, and I love to see them make that transition from the hectic schedule of orientation to the reality of what their life at CLU is going to be."

Kimball and his vice presidents took a stroll around campus Wednesday morning, and, he said, everything seemed to be going smoothly. "There is that sense that everything is bright and new and possible. You can feel that," he said.

Carol Bartell returns this fall as dean of the School of Education, a position she previously held at CLU from 1995 to 2003. "It feels like coming home to me," she said. "I forgot what a special place CLU is and what a great community it is."

Bartell said not only is the number of undergraduates increasing, but enrollment is also up in the School of Education, particularly in teacher education.

"It's exciting to see a new crop of students, and they're so enthusiastic and ready to learn," she said.

In total, CLU will have 2,200 undergraduate students in 2008-09, including 300 in the Adult Degree Evening Program at the Thousand Oaks and Oxnard campuses. At least 1,300 students are enrolled in CLU graduate programs, with higher numbers taking classes this year in psychology, particularly the marriage and family therapy program.

In June, construction started on Trinity Hall, which is slated to house 220 students starting in fall 2009, and a new social sciences building is planned for 2010. New tennis courts are supposed to be finished in November, and a community pool should be completed at the beginning of the year. The Oxnard Center also was moved and expanded this summer.