Stella Maris College (Chennai)

::"This article is about a college in Chennai, India, for Stella Maris College in Sydney, Australia, see: Stella Maris College (Manly)"

Stella Maris College is a Catholic institution of higher education for women in Chennai, India.

It is an autonomous college affiliated to the University of Madras and is partly residential. The college, which is under the direction of the Society of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, is a minority institution that provides university education in a Christian atmosphere for deserving students, especially those belonging to the Catholic community. Others are also admitted irrespective of caste and creed and their rights of conscience are respected. Besides, the College commits itself to serve the economically weak, socially underprivileged and needy students.

Introduction

Beginning in a small one-storey building on August 15th, 1947, with an enrolment of 32 students, the college has at present over 3000 students housed in large buildings on the beautiful campus of "The Cloisters", Cathedral Road, Chennai.

The college became autonomous in 1987 and has 13 undergraduate and 10 postgraduate programmes. Research programmes such as M.Phil and Ph.D and also postgraduate diploma courses are part of the academic curriculum.

With the introduction of the credit based system since 1997-98 the college is offering many new academic programmes encouraging interdisciplinary associations. Along with the management, a dynamic team of faculty drawn from the aided and self-financing sections contribute significantly to the fulfilment of the academic programmes.

In recognition of its academic excellence, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, an Autonomous Institution of the University Grants Commission, has accredited Stella Maris College at the Five Star level among the autonomous colleges of India.

History

The College is under the Management of the Institute of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. It was founded on August 15, 1947 with an enrolment of 32 students in the Intermediate Class.

Stella Maris was granted permanent recognition in 1951. To the college belongs the unique credit of starting the Bachelor's degree in Western Music and History of Fine Arts as well as the Master's Degree in Social Work of the University of Madras. The College has also the distinction of being the first to introduce the M.A Degree course in Indian Music, and the first women's college in Madras to offer M.A English, Economics and Fine Arts.

In 1960 the college moved from Santhome to a more spacious campus, `The Cloisters', on Cathedral Road, Chennai. The following few decades saw tremendous growth and development in the college with several firsts and distinctions. The college was also one of the few chosen to start the pilot project of the National Service Scheme in 1968. A spacious library was erected on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of the college in 1972 and occupies pride of place on the campus as well as in Chennai.

From 1978 onwards there was a shift in the admission policy keeping in mind the thrust of the college towards social justice. Conscious of the growing need for academic freedom, the college launched into autonomy in 1987 and the 1990's saw the college offering several new job oriented courses as well as additional sections for the departments of B.Com and Mathematics classes.

On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the College, the St. Clare's Centre, a four-storied building which houses the administrative offices, an audio-visual room, computer laboratories and several classrooms was erected.

With ten years of experiential learning processes behind it, the college has restructured its system of education by introducing the Credit Based System in 1997.

The dynamism of the institution is displayed in all its aspects particularly in the manner in which Stella Maris has evolved in response to societal needs and aspirations.

Mission

The mission of the college is to empower young women to face the challenges of life with courage and commitment, to be builders of a humane and just society, and to promote a learning community in which all, especially those from less privileged backgrounds, feel part of the collaborative high quality educational process which is value based and leads to holistic growth.

In pursuance of this mission, the college has set the following objectives:

* To develop in the college, a community of individuals endowed with intellectual curiosity, and an eagerness for lifetime learning, who will use knowledge creatively for social transformation.
* To form women of character, with sound moral principles and integrated personalities.
* To instil in the students a sense of national pride and appreciation of Indian traditions and cultures.
* To sensitise students to critique current socio-economic, political and cultural issues and to denounce all forms of oppression relating to class, caste and gender.
* To sensitise students to environmental issues, thus motivating them to promote ecological justice and sustainable development.
* To establish a link between the institution and policy makers through collaborative research leading to social development.

Departments

Emblem

The college emblem represents a ship sailing on stormy waters led on by a star. This symbolises the student's life, guided amidst tempests by the light of the Star of the Sea, Stella Maris.

Truth and Charity is the motto of the college. All seeking after knowledge is a pursuit of truth. It is the desire of Stella Maris that this truth may be the goal of all her students and that everything in their life may bear the seal of charity.

Blue and Gold are the colours borne on the Stella Maris standard: Blue symbolises truth, loyalty and fidelity and Gold symbolises love, zeal and charity.

External links

* [http://www.stellamariscollege.org/aboutus/aboutus.asp Stella Maris College website]