St. Joseph’s for Resourcefulness and Excellence
Quality Policy
We at St. Joseph’s College, aim to offer holistic Education in Arts, Science, Commerce and Management for the Empowerment of Women from all sections of society by promoting Academic Excellence, Global Employ ability and Leadership with Social Conscience.
The Significant Journey
A commendable milestone in the history of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy in India, is the year 1958, when they started St. Joseph’s College exclusively for women, the first of its kind in Visakhapatnam.
In the 50s, Visakhapatnam did not have any facility for higher education of young women. So impressed were the public of Visakhapatnam with the service rendered by the Sisters that, in 1957, a group of prominent citizens requested the Sisters of St. Joseph to undertake the task of setting up an institution of higher learning for the young women of the city.
The college, affiliated to Andhra University, was founded on 2nd July 1958, with six members of teaching staff and 28 students in the Pre-University course. The college was set up to serve the interests of the young women of Visakhapatnam and continues to do so with no thought of commercial gain. The emphasis then was on the teaching of Domestic Science but the college has since then diversified and developed to cater to the changing needs and aspirations of the young women.
The College is now a grant-in-aid institution, with a campus area of 7.5 acres and student strength of 2500, offering Three Intermediate courses, 12 Undergraduate courses in BA, B.Com, B.B.A and B.Sc and Five Postgraduate courses. The UGC, recognising the outstanding quality of education and excellent academic record, conferred Autonomy on the College in 1987.
The college is a member of the All India Association of Christian Higher Education as also the Xavier Board and utilizes the facilities of these agencies for training the faculty. The Department of French has linkages with the educational wing of the French Embassy, New Delhi and Alliance Francaise, Hyderabad. The Department of Home Science has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Community Foods and Nutrition Unit, Ministry of Human Resource Development, for training the Home Science students in the techniques of Fruit and Vegetable Preservation.
SJC Emblem
The College emblem is the insignia SJC inscribed in a hexagon as St. Joseph’s College for Women endeavors to enhance the holistic personality of young women by contributing to the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, professional and spiritual development – represented by the six facets of the hexagon.
The lamp signifies the College disseminating the light of knowledge which the students are exhorted to seek and spread out in every part of the globe! The Apex of the flame denotes the light of hope promised by Jesus Christ through the cross. The maxim ‘Kindle the light within‘ exhorts every Josephine to look within herself and optimize her potential for thinking, performing and evolving. It also symbolism a beacon of intelligence, radiating love and knowledge to the society around, and beckons first generation learners from lower socio-economic backgrounds, empowering them to stand tall in a globalized world.
Sr. Germaine Marie
1958-1963
Sr. St.Andre
1963-1978
Dr.(Sr.) N.D. Veronica
1995-2014
Some of the distinctive features of the college are:
- The College is centrally located campus with heritage buildings over 100 years old.
- College certified with ISO 21001:2018 for Educational Organization Management System & 14001:2015 for Environment Management System
- Well-equipped science laboratories, spacious and modern media lab, language lab, and zoology museum with digitalized 400+ specimens.
- Shade net house & medicinal garden & digitalized campus Flora are maintained by Botany department.
- Streaming of General English (S1–S3) based on proficiency to ensure personalized learning.
- SOW E-LEARN – Online video-based learning platform offering courses for students.
- Exclusive Home Science UG & PG programs – only college offering the program.
- French offered continuously as a second language since inception.
- Strong Alumnae support network for expert sessions, mentoring & knowledge sharing.
- Solar panels are connected to grid, photovoltaic lamps & biogas plant installed for energy efficiency.
- Plastic DROP box for waste recycling.
- Stand-alone digital library with 32,516 books.
- Crèche facility for staff with young children.
- SAHAY Counselling Centre for students, community & parents.
- Eco Green Park with best out of waste.