Largest freshman class ever enrolls at CLU

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers NEW YEAR OF LEARNING- - Dr. Mike McCambridge, California Lutheran University professor of education, delivers the keynote address at the opening academic convocation on Tuesday morning in CLU's Samuelson Chapel. A record-setting freshman class began the fall semester yesterday at California Lutheran University. CLU expected 500 first-year students, a 12 percent increase over last year.

Freshman enrollment has jumped 32 percent in the last five years.

The freshmen were selected from the largest applicant pool in CLU's history. The university received 2,803 applications, a 133 percent increase from five years ago. This year's incoming students, who include the freshmen and more than 160 transfer students, are the most geographically diverse group in the school's history.

They come from 21 states and 15 foreign countries.

In total, CLU will have 2,200 undergraduate students,which includes 300 adult degree evening program students who began classes at the T.O. campus and at the Oxnard Center on Tuesday.

Cal Lutheran also expects at least 1,300 students to be enrolled in its graduate programs.

The size of the campus is also growing. In June, construction started on Trinity Hall, which is slated to house 220 students starting next fall. New tennis courts are expected to be finished in November, and the new community pool should be completed at the beginning of the year.

CLU's new president, Chris Kimball, welcomed the new undergraduate students during orientation, which started last Saturday and continued through Tuesday.