Southampton - It's back to school for Stony Brook Southampton. Now in its second full year, the campus continues to grow as planned. The student body has almost doubled in size to over 300 full-time students and approximately 400 students overall while maintaining the same rigorous admissions standards as parent Stony Brook University.

The number of classes offered, majors and list of professors has also increased.

"We are very pleased with the progress we have made here at Stony Brook Southampton with our curriculum and our infrastructure," Interim Dean Martin Schoonen said. "Students really seem to be responding to our focus on the environment and sustainability, and that shows with their increased interest in our programs."

Students Rose Parbhudial and Sarah Burrafato scoop ice cream for scores of their classmates at Club Day on campus.

Construction continues on the new library while more space for student affairs and student services will open in early October in the renovated Atlantic Hall building according to university officials.

New state monies were announced for the Marine Center and the Student Center earlier this spring and the historic and symbolic Windmill on campus is also undergoing a face lift. New blades will be installed later this fall.

Over 150 students live on the campus now, almost double last year's tenancy. Residence life also added a community service element as more Southampton students going into the larger community to volunteer for not-for-profit, community and civic groups.

Seeking to lead in sustainability, Stony Brook Southampton, also plans to build one of the nation's truly green campuses. A greenhouse and most university vehicles are energy efficient and use alternative forms of energy. The school café has opted to not use deep fryers and instead taps local produce sources, some of which is grown on campus, whenever possible.

The New York State Department of Education had approved three cutting-edge, new majors for Southampton: Ecosystems and Human Impact; Environmental Design, Policy and Planning, and Sustainability Studies, which join SBS's existing three majors in Environmental Studies, Marine Sciences and Marine Vertebrate Biology. A "green" Business major is also in the works for Fall 2009.