After a year that started out in turmoil — then turned catastrophic — University of Hawai'i-Manoa officials expect smoother sailing for the 20,000 students starting the fall semester tomorrow.

"From the floods to dorms, we had our share of problems last year," said Jim Manke, university spokesman.

But the campus has nearly recovered from floods that ravaged the Manoa area last October, and the severe shortages of classes and dorm rooms that marred the start of the last school year won't be repeated, UH officials said.

Even in the second consecutive year of heavy enrollment, students aren't expected to be shut out of classes after the administration found ways to identify high-demand courses. And the housing waiting list is better, too — one-fourth that of last year's, or about 300 compared with last fall's 1,200.

"It's about customer service," said Neal Smatresk, vice chancellor of academic administration. "Students are customers and when they come here we should fill reasonable expectations."

But this year is not without its share of question marks. A new alcohol control policy intended to help quash underage and binge drinking is being instituted, and some students say the policy is unnecessary. So far there have been few complaints, officials said, but they're already seeing minor difficulties with implementation.

On the first day of classes last year, hundreds of students were shut out of courses they needed, and UH officials scrambled to add dozens of classes to accommodate them.

To prevent a recurrence, the administration employed enrollment management software to identify classes in high demand such as introductory biology and those belonging to popular majors, Smatresk said. Enrollment is expected to remain at the high level reached last year, he said.

Extra sections of core classes are being added as other sections fill up, Smatresk said.

"Realistically, we're trying to help students move through their degree and graduate in a timely fashion," he said.

Early housing application deadlines and more proactive planning may have contributed to the smaller housing waiting list, said Janice Camara, interim director of housing.

"We were able to inform people way ahead of time that they did or did not receive dorms and that allows them to plan and make alternate arrangements," she said.

Chelsea Souza, an 18-year-old freshman from Kaua'i, applied for her dorm room nearly a year early to make sure she got a space.

"When I was notified it was a relief. I was guaranteed a dorm room because I applied so early," she said.

In early June, after the housing office did the early assignments, letters were sent to those who weren't as lucky as Souza. They fell into three different categories: those who could remain on the wait list and have a fair shot at a dorm room, those who should start looking for off-campus housing as a backup, and students who had no chance at a room, Camara said.

But even that has not prevented some students from arriving on campus with no place to stay. "I have people who have already flown in and parents are here, but they didn't even apply for housing," Camara said. Those students are referred to a listing of affordable off-campus housing, she said.

New and returning residents moved in this weekend to a dormitory with a newly implemented alcohol control policy.

Under a new "three strikes" system, parents will be notified of each alcohol violation, and on the third violation the student is asked to leave his or her dorm, said Ron Cambra, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

But already there have been difficulties implementing the policy. For example, the policy calls for dorm rooms to be segregated by legal drinking age.

"Our intent was to put all 21-year-olds together but that's going to be impossible — I can't keep it all that way," Camara said, because students are accepted into dorms based on geographic priority.

The low-rise Hale Wainani apartments and Hale Noelani apartments are designated as alcohol-free "wellness" dorms, Cambra said. The circular freshman towers continue to be substance-free residence halls. But that leaves only the two high-rise Hale Wainani towers, with a combined occupancy of 650 students, to accommodate those who are 21 and over.

Cambra acknowledged that 21-year-olds may be placed into alcohol-free dorms even if they do not want to be there. But he added that the policy is new and will inevitably have kinks that need to be worked out.

"We may not win the prize with the students," he said.

However, Dr. Theresa Wee, president of UH-Manoa's Parent Association, said that underage drinking was out of control in years past, especially last year, and stricter consequences needed to be in place.

But some students believe the severity of the problem is being exaggerated.

"The student government doesn't really believe there is a big problem down there — it's really mild compared to a lot of schools," said Grant Teichman , president of the Associated Students of UH-Manoa. He said the new policy could ruin the sense of community at the dorms.

Safety also remains a prime concern after a number of assaults involving UH students in the past three years.

New dark green "HPD-type" uniforms will help make Manoa's 30 security patrol officers more recognizable, said spokesman Manke.

And a committee on security is working to pinpoint areas on campus where more lighting or cameras could be useful, said associate professor Tom Schroeder, who heads the committee.

Interim university president David McClain has committed 5 percent of each campus's new money from the fiscal period started July 1 to go toward security.

"Over the next year and a half we'll be making considerable investments in campus security," said vice chancellor Smatresk.

UH stresses 'service' policy

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.