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Stella Maris College (Chennai)
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
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 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 a place of pride 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 1990s 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, the St. Clare's Centre, a four-story 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 a 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.
In pursuance of this mission, the college has set the following objectives:
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.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
institution of higher education for women in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
It is an autonomous college affiliated to the University of Madras
University of Madras
The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...
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 15, 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.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
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
National Assessment and Accreditation Council
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council is an organization that assesses and accredits institutions of higher education in India. It is an autonomous body funded by University Grants Commission of Government of India headquartered in Bangalore.-History:NAAC was established in 1994 in...
, an autonomous institution of the University Grants Commission
University Grants Commission (India)
The University Grants Commission of India is a statutory organisation set up by Union government in 1956, for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education. It provides recognition for universities in India, and provides funds for government-recognised...
, 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. The college has 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 SanthomeSanthome
-History:The word Santhome or San Thome is derived from Saint Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. The local Christian belief is that the apostle came to India in A.D.52, was martyred in A.D.72 at St.Thomas Mount in the City and was interred in Mylapore. A church was built over his...
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 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 a place of pride 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 1990s 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, the St. Clare's Centre, a four-story 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 a 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.
- As part of their continuing initiative against deadly diseases Stella Maris organised an AIDS awareness campaign in 2006, where students were given "Abstain from Sex" pamphlets.
Departments
- Bioinformatics
- Biotechnology
- Chemistry
- Commerce
- Computer Science
- Economics
- English
- History
- History of Fine Arts, Drawing and Painting
- International Studies
- Languages
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology
- Psychology
- Public Relations
- Religion and Value Education
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Zoology
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.
Notable alumni
- Alarmel ValliAlarmel ValliAlarmel Valli is an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, and the foremost exponent of the Pandanallur style Indian classical dance form of Bharatnatyam and also her own distinctive style...
, Indian classical dancer - Samantha Ruth PrabhuSamantha Ruth PrabhuSamantha Ruth Prabhu is an Indian film actress and model who appears in Telugu and Tamil films. Born to Malayali and Telugu parents, Samantha was brought up in Chennai and pursued a career in modeling during her late teens...
, Indian actress - G. ThilakavathiG. ThilakavathiG. Thilakavathi is a police officer and Tamil writer from Tamil Nadu, India.-Biography:Thilakavathi was born in and did her schooling in Dharmapuri district. She is an alumnus of Auxilium College, Katpadi and Stella Maris College, Chennai. In 1976, she became the first woman from Tamil Nadu to...
IPSIndian Police ServiceThe Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India... - Shweta MohanShweta MohanShweta Mohan is an Indian playback singer. She has sung in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi languages.Sung for over 50 movies in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada...
, Indian singer - Indra Srinivasan, Indian Poet