Holy Cross College

Holy Cross College (autonomous) Tiruchirappalli, Nationally Reaccredited with ?A? grade by NAAC, ‘College with potential for Excellence’, affiliated to the Bharathidasan University, has been in the forefront of women?s education for nearly nine decades. It was started for the benefit of the young girls of Tiruchirappalli as early as 1923, when higher education for women was considered almost a transgression against the age old respected customs concerning higher education for girls. Holy Cross College (autonomous), Tiruchirappalli, run by the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod, Province of Tiruchirappalli, is affiliated to the Bharathidasan University and it is one among the oldest colleges for women in South India. It has its headquarters at Puthur, Tiruchirappalli. Holy Cross Provincialate is registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. Holy Cross College is meant primarily for the Catholic minority community of the city and the state. It admits other students, irrespective of their caste, creed and state. Their religious feelings and freedom of conscience are respected. The history of Holy Cross College dates back to 1901, when Mother Sophie set up a primary school with only a room or two and a handful of girls as her students. From its humble beginning, it has grown steadily, attained the status of a college in 1923, became a second grade college in 1928 and post graduate college in 1964. In recognition of its service to the cause of women?s education for over eight decades, the college was granted autonomous status from June 1987 by the Bharathidasan University. The College was accredited by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) in 1999 with FIVE STARS. It volunteered to be reaccredited by NAAC in October 2004 and was reaccredited with ?A? grade, (88.5%) in May 2005. It was the first affiliated college in the Bharathidasan University, to launch the Choice-Based Credit System in June 2000, to provide flexible choice of subjects to the students. At present keeping in view the globalization of higher education the college has designed a new undergraduate course Curriculum which enables students to choose courses from a combination of disciplines, to suit individual needs with career opportunities. We Started in 1923, with five girl students, by Mother Sophie, a French missionary, when girls could not even dream of getting educated, Holy Cross College has now grown to an institution with a student strength of 4370. For nearly nine decades, Holy Cross College has been functioning as an Institution of excellence in student and faculty performance both in academic and co-curricular activities. The Institution also moves on par with the global technological development by updating faculty knowledge and skills as well as infrastructure establishment. Such technological revolution is integrated into curriculum, teaching, evaluation and administration. Though research was not an institutional priority till 1999, after the first accreditation by NAAC, the College realized the need to promote research. This was initiated by the addition of the research focus in its objectives. Subsequently, the College made a leap in research through acquiring funds for research activities. Simultaneously the Departments started research programmes and guiding students that led to enormous publications in national and international journals with impact factors. With the existing ambience in research activities in the campus, Holy Cross College will soon become a prominent Research Centre too.