1960
University Grants Commission (UGC), National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)
Autonomous
Female
About Us
Stella
Maris College, a Catholic minority institution of higher education for women,
was founded in 1947. Beginning in a small, one-storey building on August 15th
of that year with 32 students in Santhome, Mylapore, the College was relocated
in 1960 to its present campus “The Cloisters” on Cathedral Road in the heart of
the city of Chennai. Today, the College has an enrolment of nearly 5,500
students from diverse backgrounds, communities and nations. The College is an
autonomous institution affiliated to the University of Madras and is partly
residential. It is under the management of the Society of the Franciscan
Missionaries of Mary, a Catholic, religious congregation founded by Blessed
Mary of the Passion (Hélène de Chappotin) in Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu in 1877.
Guided by her charism, the initiatives of the College arise from a sound
philosophy of life based on faith in God and the contemporary reality of a
pluralistic Indian society which is challenged by global ideologies and
cultures. The College is committed to serving the economically and socially
marginalised sections of society. It provides university education in a
Christian atmosphere for deserving students, especially those belonging to the
Catholic community. Admission is open to all irrespective of caste and creed
and their rights of conscience are respected. Truth and Charity is the motto of
the College. To seek knowledge is to pursue truth. The College strives to
encourage young women to continually search for Truth, and grow into mature and
responsible women, ready to face the challenges of life at home and in society.
The quest for truth and the untiring spirit of selfless service is the hallmark
of a true Stella Marian. The College emblem represents a ship sailing on stormy
waters led by a star. This symbolises the student’s life, guided amidst
tempests by the light of the Star of the Sea, Stella Maris. Blue and Gold are the
colours of the Stella Maris standard. Blue symbolises truth, loyalty and
fidelity and Gold symbolises love, zeal and charity.
The
College is committed to serving the economically and socially marginalised
sections of society and provides university education in a Christian atmosphere
for students, especially those belonging to the Catholic community. Admission
is open to all, irrespective of caste and creed, and their rights of conscience
are respected. In keeping with its mission, the College promotes inclusive
practices in the implementation of its academic programmes, taking into account
learning differences and the special needs of the differently-abled. In seeking
to mould women of character who will be self-reliant and work towards social
transformation, the College has established an educational road map that
provides a framework for quality education and stimuli for lifetime learning.
A
student-centric, participatory teaching-learning-evaluation system assures the
students of optimal educational benefits. The College is at the forefront of
higher education in India by balancing its commitment to academic excellence
with emphasis on all-round development of students. Offering courses in
traditional Arts and Science courses and in emerging areas such as
International Studies, Information Technology, Bioinformatics and
Biotechnology, the curriculum promotes national development, fosters global
competencies and facilitates skills training to meet the challenges of a
competitive workplace.
Running
parallel with the nation's trajectory towards selfhood and development, Stella
Maris College has evolved into an Institution of repute, serving national,
regional and local needs.
Stella
Maris College is managed by the Sisters of the Institute of the Franciscan
Missionaries of Mary. Blessed Mary of the Passion was born on May 21, 1838 in
Nantes, France. Since her earliest years God had placed his hand on her and was
forming her for a challenging mission through the difficult circumstances of
her life. She came to India in 1865 at the age of 26 as a Sister of the Marie
Reparatrix Congregation and worked in Tamil Nadu for 11 years having mastered
Tamil, the local language. Her love for the people who affectionately called
her Passion Thayar, and her bold missionary initiatives for development work
and the empowerment of women met with resistance, confrontation and
misunderstandings by the local church. Under very oppressive circumstances, she
and a group of Reparatrix sisters decided to withdraw from the Marie Reparatrix
Congregation. She returned to Rome in November 1876 in order to explain her situation.
The Holy Father, having heard her, asked her to write a Rule of Life as she
perceived life in the Missions. Her Rule of Life was approved by Pope Pius IX
on January 6, 1877 and the Institute of the Missionaries of Mary was born.
Later in 1882 she affiliated the Institute to the Franciscan Order and the
Institute of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary came into being.
VISION
The vision of the college is to build
a vibrant and inclusive learning community in a culture of excellence sustained
by a sound value system that promotes responsible citizenship and effects
social change.
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 a 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.
