The Origin of Providence College Community
The establishment of a College in Springfield was a long-cherished dream of the local inhabitants and Sisters of Coonoor. After several attempts of looking for a suitable site, the Sisters chanced upon Springfield. It was the summerhouse of the Maharaja of Cochin, Kerala. The site was 23 acres: 7 acres of residential land, about 8 acres of eucalyptus groves and 8 acres of tea estates. The place Springfield, takes its name from the many lovely springs that flow down this hill. It makes a pleasant drive, with beautiful trees, flowers and valleys filling one with the warmth and the healing effect of nature. As one enters the place, one sees flowers of various hues in full bloom and panorama of the acres that lie ahead.
Among the birds and flowers of Providence, a Community has found its place. It is in the taluk of Coonoor. The community is situated 6 kms away from Coonoor, on the Coonoor-Kotagiri Road. The community was established on 1st July, 1966. Srs Emilia D’Mello, Monica Varghese and Valerie Dias were the pioneers of the community. It was nurtured by the generosity of the members of St Joseph Convent, Coonoor. The Sisters provided all that was required for the community. This community belongs to the parish of St Joseph Church, Alwarpet in the Diocese of Ooty.
Providence College Community is known for its simplicity and hospitality since many years. All who come in are welcomed and made to feel at home. Through a random sharing it has been felt that the sisters living here at present aspire to keep up the tradition of simplicity and hospitality individually and as a community.
The Present Community 2021
Srs Lilly D, Mansiya, Selvi A, Anthumary, Sithara Joseph, Arockia Mary, Anne Pamplany, Shobha D’Souza & Sheela V.J.
The main apostolate of the community –Education
The community also actively participates in the pastoral work and parish activities. The community Chapel is used for the people of Adar Estate, Bandishola and Bellatimattam for Mass. On Thursdays the Sisters visit the houses in Bandishola, Adar Estate on Saturdays and on feast days the houses in the other substations of the Parish. The Sisters teach catechism in the parish every Sundays and actively participate in all the activities of the parish. Once a month the Sisters go for vocation promotion to various parishes.
Our Lay Associates join hands with the Sisters in all our Ministries. They teach catechism in the College and in their parishes. Once a week they come together to pray, once a month visit the home for the aged and once a year they make their annual retreat. They accompany us for recruitment of vocations. The Foundation Day, Christmas and St. Joseph’s feast is celebrated along with the Lay Associates. During Advent and Lent they have a day of Recollection.
The community has adopted catholic families from Jharkhand working in Aderly Estate as the target group and visit their houses, pray with them and offer spiritual and material help.
Providence College for Women, Coonoor
Providence College for Women, Coonoor is a brainchild of Mother Marie Therese and it is a grant-in-aid and self-financing Institute which is affiliated to the Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. The College was established and founded by the socially conscious and service minded Sisters of St Joseph of Tarbes. It is a Catholic minority Institution registered under the Nilgiris St Joseph’s Sisters Society to provide higher education to Women of Nilgiris who are mainly first-generation learners and who could not step out of this place due to several factors.
The College at Springfield was inaugurated on the 1st of July 1966, rightly called ‘Providence College’ – the gift from Providence and a child of St. Joseph’s Convent, Coonoor. The green campus with its serene and eco-friendly atmosphere, creates an ambience for peaceful teaching-learning in the Institution. Since its inception in 1966, the Institution which is covered under Sec 2(f) and 12- B of the UGC Act 1956, the College provides quality Education to the students of the rural areas which also includes Tribal students.
MS. Padmini Adiseshiah was the first Principal of the College. The Province did not have Sisters ready to be the Principal of the College. After three years, Sr Fabiana, a Holy Cross sister was appointed as the next Principal. In the year 1973, Sr Margaret Mary Pereira was appointed the first SJT sister as Principal. Once the College was in the hands of our sisters, the entire atmosphere began to take on SJT orientation.
As the years rolled by, the College witnessed immense growth which gave an opportunity to celebrate the Silver Jubilee in 1991.
With the fast-speeding years and growing numbers the College Celebrated its Golden Jubilee in the year 2016. Dedicated to the core, the sisters even to this day, have maintained the spirit of simplicity of life and an atmosphere of welcome to all who enter there.
The policy of the Institution is based on total commitment to the immediate neighborhood. It paves the way for all children to receive quality education. It is the first Institution in the Nilgiris District to be conferred with the Autonomous Status for 10 years from the academic year 2021 to 2031. The Institution has gone through three cycles of NAAC accreditation securing ‘A’ grade in the third cycle with a score of 3.15.
Currently the institution offers 7 Under Graduate, 7 Post Graduate, 7 M. Phil, 6 Ph.D., and 5 certificate programmes catering to produce professionals with academic excellence and ethical values.
The motto of the Institution is “Faith is the Sun of Life” as faith in God can make impossible possible. The symbolic representation of the lily lamp ignites the soul and removes darkness, the blossoming of the lily creates charm and the treble clef musical note soothes and inspires. The hidden-clear initials P.C. represent Providence College which is heart-pulsating and faith-inspiring. The combination of the sun, the lily and music make the slogan “Faith is the Sun of Life” meaningful.
The Institution is following the Choice Based Credit System in curriculum besides the outcome-based education which has been introduced as a modern phenomenon. Along with the curriculum, Certificate Courses and Add-on courses are offered. Project work, industrial visits, field trips and practical classes are a part of the curriculum for intensifying participative and experiential learning. A well-maintained library provides adequate books and e- resources to make the curriculum wholesome.
Guidance class which ensures moral values has been specially implemented in the institution, so that students can face the challenges in the world. The curriculum also instills social consciousness through co-curricular activities such as NSS, NCC, Peace Club, Youth Red Cross, etc. The Institution is rendering noble service in preparing and empowering the students with self-reliance, ethical, moral values and skill development, to meet the local and global challenges through the implementation of the curriculum effectively.
‘We rise by lifting others.’ Providence Outreach Programme was started with a purpose to help the needy during Covid 19 Pandemic by providing voluntary material contribution. An awareness drive was held through electronic and social media platforms where the public was made conscious of the extremely difficult situation of rural communities. Relief material like food, warm clothes and health mix (food supplement) were contributed by the public, staff and students, and the same was distributed. The tribals and the needy have shown utmost gratitude and appreciation for the efforts made by the outreach team for their positive and helpful attitude.
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE HOSTEL
Providence college started in the year 1966 to cater to the Educational needs of the local people who requested the Management of St Joseph’s Convent, Coonoor to have College as well as the Hostel facilities.
The Hostel started in the year 1967 with girls from Tellicherry, Trivandrum, Kottayam, Kannur, Ernakulam , Sulthan Bathery, Trichy, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and from interior villages of the Nilgiris.
Besides, students from India we had students from Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand who pursued their studies took pride of being in the Hill station.
The life in the Hostel was organized in such a way that it fostered the ideals for which the College stands. It also strived to provide for the students ‘A Home away from Home” where they can grow to be mature and responsible personalities. It gave its residents a deep appreciation of Human Values for self and for others. In order to achieve this, the students were expected to enter whole heartedly into the various aspects of life in the Hostel.
OUR MISSION:
To form
- The students into mature, responsible and challenging young ladies
- To give their best to transform their family and the Society.
OBJECTIVES:
- To seek the Divine Assistance in all occasions as a weapon to cope with the changing Society.
- To live the ordinary values of life to be happy and joyful.
- To develop oneself in all aspects of life.
- To awaken the student’s enthusiasm, hope and determination for success in studies.
- To improve the level of interpersonal relationships.
- To acquire self confidence in-order to achieve one’s goal.
- To LIVE AND ENJOY Hostel Life in a
- To keep the environment clean and be eco-friendly.
ACTIVITIES:
- Election of Leaders
- Fresher’s Day and farewell
- Festivals like Deepavalli, Pongal, Christmas,
- Competitions
- Visiting the Home for the Aged.
- Students give coaching classes in Maths and English for the neighbouring students.
- Christian Students attend prayer services on Wednesdays and Sundays.
- Special persons are invited to speak about personality development and stress management.
