SAN MARCOS -- When students arrive this week at Cal State San Marcos and Palomar College for the beginning of fall semester, they will see new buildings, bigger crowds on campus and expanded extracurricular opportunities.

Officials at both schools expect enrollment to increase more than 4 percent this fall, pushing Cal State San Marcos past 9,000 students for the first time and keeping Palomar on pace for a projected 31,000 students by the end of the semester.

At Cal State San Marcos, which is North County's only four-year university, a 21,000-square-foot child care center will open when school begins on Thursday, 52 extra loft beds have been added in the dorms to make way for the largest freshman class in school history, and the first stoplight in school history will be installed to improve safety in the university's crowded parking lots.

Student leaders are also planning a new support center for gay, lesbian and transgender students, a new marquee to keep commuter students better informed about school activities and an expanded roster of campus barbecues, movie nights and other social activities.

At Palomar, which is a two-year community college located in San Marcos, the big story when school opens Monday will be the long-awaited opening of the 107,000-square-foot Natural Sciences Building, the first new instructional building at Palomar since the 1970s.

The $30 million, three-story tower of metal and brick expands the classroom space at Palomar by 25 percent, a boost that has helped increase enrollment by allowing the college to offer about 125 extra classes during the popular daytime hours, school officials said.

"This new building has been a real morale boost for all of us," said college president Bob Deegan.

The campuses are headed in opposite directions on the tuition front. Annual fees have increased 10 percent this fall at the university, from $2,520 to $2,772, while Palomar tuition has decreased by 23 percent compared to last fall, from $26 per course unit to $20 per unit.

Near the end of the semester in December, it will become easier to access both schools when the Sprinter light-rail line begins running between Oceanside and Escondido. Each school will have its own station, and they are expected to be the most popular destinations of the 14 stops on the line, according to North County Transit District officials.

Always something new at Cal State

Cal State San Marcos, where enrollment has increased more than 25 percent in the past four years, has been the fastest-growing public university in California during that time. And that rapid growth ensures that each year will present exciting challenges, said history professor Patricia Seleski, chairman of the Academic Senate faculty panel.

"The great thing about San Marcos is that the campus is a very different place every year," said Seleski. "We're small enough that having a few hundred extra students makes a big impact. And the campus gets more vital every year because there are more people here."

Seleski said there is a strong sense of relief this semester that students can focus on academics without worrying that their professors will go on strike. Last spring, the faculty labor union was on the brink of walking out until the administration of the 23-campus California State University system capitulated to their salary demands at the last minute.

"I think everyone is relieved the labor struggle is over," said Seleski. "This year, it will seem like a big weight has been lifted."

Seleski also predicted that the focal point of campus activity will continue its shift toward the south, where the new child care center and the Sprinter station are located.

"The whole center of campus has moved toward that end of campus since the library opened a few years ago," she said.

Another factor in that change is an increase in activity at the Clarke Fieldhouse, a building in the southern portion of campus where more events are being scheduled and where a student lounge opened late last year, according to Bridget Blanshan, dean of students.

"Students are getting a preview of what an actual student union would be like," said Blanshan.

Student leaders are also upbeat about the new Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Pride Center, said Caitlin Gelrud, president of the student government. It will provide services and support, making those students feel more welcome on campus, she said.

Another student government initiative is a large marquee that would list events and activities so that students arriving on campus in their cars can keep track of what's going on, said Gelrud.

Also, the number of fraternities on campus has expanded from one to two, and the number of sororities has increased from two to three, said Blanshan. A recruiting fair for student clubs will be held on Aug. 29 at noon, she said.

Other changes this semester will include an increased emphasis on student safety, according to university police chief Ron Hackenberg.

In addition to the new campus stoplight, new programs will be established to combat alcohol abuse and to prevent sexual assaults, said Hackenberg. Campus police will also carefully monitor the impact of the Sprinter and increased traffic near the main campus entrance on Twin Oaks Valley Road, which will finally be connected to San Elijo Road on Labor Day.

"The Sprinter and the increased traffic on Twin Oaks will put more people in the area of our campus, which is something we need to pay attention to," said Hackenberg. "It's up to us to stay ahead of the growth in terms of crime prevention."

A new Palomar

The buzz at Palomar this summer has centered on the Natural Sciences Building, and not just because it towers over the campus, said Michelle Eichelberger, president of the student government.

It is the first of 15 new buildings and 15 significant renovations that will come from a $694 million facilities bond that voters passed last November.

"The students are really looking forward to having classes in the new building because it's the beginning of a new Palomar," said Eichelberger.

The reception among the faculty has been just as positive, said Berta Cuaron, vice president for instruction.

"Faculty and staff say that they can hardly believe it is actually here," said Cuaron. "It changes Palomar forever because it's the first of many to come."

Eichelberger said students plan to continue with another recent change at Palomar: Increased student activism.

Students lobbied hard last year for new smoking restrictions on campus and for a new rule that would make the school's annual graduation ceremony open to students transferring to four-year universities without earning an associate's degree.

The students did not achieve success on either front, but Eichelberger said they have not given up.

"Students are frustrated with the struggles we faced last year, but we are committed to working even harder than last year to reach our goals," she said.

Contact staff writer David Garrick at (760) 740-5468 or dgarrick@nctimes.com.