St. Philos College (Autonomous), Mysuru

A Bishop’s dream and a Maharaja’s munificence culminated in the establishment of St. Philomena’s College on October 9, 1946. His Excellency, Rt. Rev. Dr. Rene Feuga, the first Bishop of Mysore, vacated his mansion to make room for classes. The vacated his mansion to make room for classes. The Wodeyars, of the Mysore Royal family, encouraged the Diocese in its maiden venture into higher education. The College was declared open by His Highness Sri Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, the Maharaja of Mysore, a rare honour and privilege for any institution. It was history in the making in more ways than one and the first group of 380 Philomenites were aware of it. They knew that they were stepping into the very first private First Grade College in the Royal City, affiliated to the University of Mysore. Even more importantly, St. Philomena’s was the first private Degree Science College in the erstwhile Mysore Region. Before its foundation, the college received its motto from His Holiness, the Pope. The Holy Father chose the maxim “Caritas vestra magis ac magis abundet in scientia” May your love grow richer in knowledge. Caritas in Scientia the first and the last words of the quotation became the motto of the college. All through her fledgling years, the college’s future was shaped by teachers of outstanding calibre; among them were, the doyen of the Modern Movement in Kannada poetry, Prof. Gopalakrishna Adiga and the renowned space scientist and former Chairman of ISRO, Prof. U.R. Rao and a host of other great pioneering Principals and teachers. Now, 75 years later, the student strength has multiplied manifold, new buildings have been constructed and courses and infrastructure have proliferated. Each year, St. Philomena’s College re-invents itself to adapt to the needs of fast-changing world, harmonizing the new with the old. Old blocks, new blocks, the process continues, adding to the diversity of the campus. Traditional courses co-exist with the newer, more challenging and contemporary courses such as Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Electronics, Computer Science, Social Work, Communication and Journalism, UGC sponsored vocational course in Functional English, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Computer Application (BCA), Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management (BTHM) and UGC Add-On courses in Biotechnology, Industrial Chemistry, Electric and Electronic Equipment Maintenance and Computer Networking. The college offers at the undergraduate level B.A., B.Sc., B.Com., BBA, BSW, BCA, BTHM as well as B.Voc. courses in Health Care Technology and Media and Entertainment. Besides, there are 14 Postgraduate courses in Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Social Work, Commerce, English, Communication and Journalism, Economics, Sociology, Mathematics, Christianity and Holistic Spirituality. The college has excellent infrastructure with digital library, almost all class rooms are equipped with LCD projectors, entire campus is networked with OFC, spacious play grounds and newly built Indoor Stadium. St. Philomena’s is verily a global village with students from 19 different states of India and 32 countries of the world. In spite of a very varied cultural, religious and racial composition on the college campus, the students and the members of the staff feel at home. The college became autonomous in 2011. It was declared by the UGC as a College of Excellence with effect from April 1, 2015, a rare privilege for any college, with only 14 colleges in India and only three in Karnataka. The NAAC has assessed and accredited St. Philomena’s with A+ in the first cycle and A with 3.58 CGPA on a four-point scale in the second cycle. As the college races past all these milestones in history with many signposts standing out along the way, it is gearing itself to become a University in the near future. The college is guided by the visionary zeal of providing value-based education to everyone irrespective of religion, caste, creed or sex by which the character is formed,intellect is expanded and one can stand on his/her own feet To transform young men and women who come to learn not just from books, but also from life and to share the experience of working and playing together,which inculcates life skills to become good citizens with integrity and discipline The story of any ground-breaking community is the story of torch-bearers and extraordinary human beings. Our founders were driven by a sense of mission. For them education was not just an investment in future career opportunities, but it was a means to self-realization and a guide to wholesome living. These pioneers laid the foundations and over the years the temple of learning built by them has grown, drawing students from every corner of India and some from across the seas. We have students from 19 different states of India and 32 different nationalities. Together, they represent a microcosm of our country, with its rich composite culture. They come to study the conventional subjects first and later the more current disciplines. Along with academic learning, they also sing, dance and play – hockey, cricket, football, volley ball, basket ball, shuttle badminton and table tennis. Their sporting talents come to the fore at the college’s Annual Athletic Meet and some go on to represent the college at state and national Athletics and Games. Inculcating Life Skills in students has been the objective of Value Education at St. Philomena’s. The NCC, NSS and the Rotaract, Nature, Adventure, Fine Arts and Literary Clubs enhance social awareness and add further dimension to education. Seminars, panel discussions and guest lectures, classroom learning and co-curricular activities have placed the college firmly on the cultural map. The list of Clubs and Associations at St. Philomena’s continues to grow while additional experience comes through field trips and excursions. The Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) in the college, helps boost confidence and morale by conducting Leadership and Personality Development programme. As for the methods employed in teaching, there is freedom to innovate. Encouraged by a far-sighted and progressive Principal, teachers as well as students stretch their wings and accept challenges both within the college and in society at large. Even as it changes, St. Philomena’s continues to hold on to its traditions and values, instilling a sense of belonging in all who pass through the portals of this college. ...view more