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St. Joseph’s College, Irinjalakuda started in 1964 with a vision to fulfill the increasing demands for higher education among young girls in and around Irinjalakuda, Thrissur.Now with more than   1850 students and a faculty strength including 107 teaching and 52 non teaching staff, the institution has soared to envious heights of eminence, and has been re accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with a B++ grade.

Dr.(Sr.)Annie Kuriakose,who took charge as the Principal of the College in April 2007, was a Reader in the Department of Physics and the IQAC Co-ordinator before she took up the present assignment. She joined the Department in December 1984 and did her M.Phil and Ph.D as UGC Teacher fellow in Madras and Anna Universities respectively. A researcher of global band-width, she has nine international papers and a UGC project to her credit.

In an interview to Sreeni K.R, Dr.(Sr.)Annie Kuriakose,Principal, St. Joseph’s College, Irinjalakuda, spoke at length about the activities and prospects of the College.

When did you take charge as the Principal of St. Joseph's College, Irinjalakuda ?
I took charge as the Principal of St. Joseph's College, Irinjalakuda on April 2007.

What are the qualities your institution focusses on?What is your mission ?
We visualize “A better world of ideal families through enlightened and empowered women.”We aim to groom academically and globally competent women rooted in values and endowed with compassion for the weak and the marginalized, earnestly pursuing truth, peace and universal harmony.

What are the goals and objectives of St. Joseph's College, Irinjalakuda ?
Goals and objectives:
•Uncompromising quest for excellence in education with equal thrust on value formation
•Total commitment to national development by ensuring women social justice, equality and unobstructed access to higher education
•Development of human resources of global level competencies
• Forging closer bonds between the world of work and the world of learning.
•Inculcating through appropriate campus experiences, core universal values        commensurate with the country’s pluralities, diversities and environmental realities.
•Making fullest use of the state-of-the-art information and communication technology (ICT) and the resources it offers in the process of teaching, learning and administering.

How do you keep pace with the new technology?
The College attaches adequate importance to Information and Communication Technology as a means of equipping the students to meet global challenges and curriculum transaction. To meet the greater demand for ICT- incorporated courses, the College has introduced MCJ, Diploma in AVMP etc.   We also avail ourselves of the technical expertise of IT professionals to motivate our students and train our teachers. The Post Entrance Test (PET) held by the College to identify the slow and advanced learners is computer enabled.
The Computer Centre provides computer support to the faculty and students in the campus. We have a computer aided audio-visual centre, which facilitates LCD-aided presentations of faculty, staff and students. The students are informally trained in C, C++, text editing, computational chemistry etc. Apart from OHP, every department is provided with a P4 computer and makes use of LCD and computer aided teaching packages .The College has a total of 150 computers and accessory equipment and 20 OHPs. The Departments are interconnected with LAN and the College has an Internet Kiosk of 20 terminals. We have also a stock of 350 digital wares.
Use of Internet for transacting Educational Programmes: Internet facility is available to the students at a subsidized cost. It is used by teachers and students alike as a source of knowledge. The College has a digital library with a good collection of CD-ROMS for UG-PG learning and teaching.
IT Training of the Faculty: All our teachers are computer literate, and they have sufficient familiarity with the IT enabled teaching-learning methods and devices. At the initial stage they were given in-house training in Computer operation by the management with the technical support of expert external agencies like APTECH, NIIT, and IRS. Our faculty has adequate training in AV aids and computer aided packages too.

Extra-curricular activities form an integral part of the growth and development of the students. What are the extra-curricular activities you are carrying out for students?
Extra Curricular activities:
The College has a strength of 1850 students who are trained to develop a positive attitude to life by exploiting their latent faculties and inborn talents. HRD & Career Guidance Cell, Value Education, Fine Arts, Sports and Games, Social Service League, NSS, NCC, Women Cell, Nature Club etc. help the students discover their inherent potential.
St. Joseph’s has always been a fertile ground for blossoming young artists. Various Fine Arts competitions are conducted during the year and the student participation is indeed overwhelming.
Departmental Associations:
The Associations have been formed with the intention of providing the students exposure to the world of knowledge that lies beyond the text books in the respective disciplines. With this end in view, the Associations organize Seminars, Discussions, Quiz contests and similar events. The Associations also take care to celebrate Days of national and international importance connected with the subject. Working under the guidance of a faculty, the association takes the lead in all the activities of the Department. It is the Association that attends to the wall - magazines and brings out the publications of the Department to foster creativity and research aptitude in the students.
Talent seeking
All the students are given a platform to exhibit their inborn talents, and we are proud to say that our budding artistes have excelled in all the co-curricular activities as well.
D zone & Interzone competitions
Our budding artistes have bagged innumerable prizes in the D zone & inter zone competitions, and thereby brought our college to the forefront in these competitions.
Counselling Centre:
The problems of the present day youth are also addressed to, and their mental and spiritual health is taken care of. Darsana Counseling Centre aided by the Department of Human Resource Development, New Delhi, addresses the problem of adolescent and adult stress. Two full time counselors’ services are made available not only to our students but also to their parents, and the public at large.

Which are the major courses you are offering?
The College offers UG, PG and Doctoral Programmes in the regular Arts ,Science and Computer subjects besides Add-on/Enrichment-Diploma and Certificate Courses.
Innovative Courses:
P.G. Diploma in Cryptography
Advanced Diploma / Diploma / Certificate Courses:
1.   Diploma in Audio Visual Media Practice (UGC Aided)
2.   Certificate Course in Audio Visual Media Practice (UGC Aided)
3.   Certificate Course in Travel and Tourism (UGC Aided)
4.   Certificate Course in Spoken English (UGC Aided).

Your college has undertaken a few training programmes for employees and professionals. Which are they?
The College has taken up a few programmes for training women outside the campus for advancement in their life / career.
1.Spoken English programme for Kudumbasree units offered by English Department
2.Training in manufacturing cosmetics, soaps and detergents offered by Chemistry Department
3.Maintenance of Electrical and Electronic Equipment offered by Physics Department
4.Refresher courses for Higher Secondary School teachers offered by Departments of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics
5.Course for Volleyball referees offered by Physical Education Department
6.Training programme on soft skills for Anganvadi Teachers offered by Hindi Department .

Your college has formulated a course called HFC- Higher Focus Course. What is its aim?
HFC (Higher Focus Course)
In an attempt to realize the Vision and the Mission of the institution, the college has formulated a course called HFC – Higher Focus Course. The course lays equal emphasis on skill development as well as value orientation. Spread over a period of three years that coincide with the Bachelor Degree programme, this special course of 275 hours duration is a compulsory component of all the Degree programmes offered in this College. It provides a wide variety of training programmes during the three-year course period which include Yoga, Spoken English, Family guidance programme, Social Service and Value – oriented programmes.

Which are the self financing courses you are offering?
Self financing Programmes:
1.   Master of Social Work
2.   Master of Journalism and Mass Communication
3.   M. Sc Biotechnology
4.   M.A English (Unaided)
5.   M.Com (Unaided)
6.   B.Sc. Biotechnology
7.   Bachelor of Business Administration

Off-Campus Courses (M.G.University)
M.B.A.; M.C.A; B.Com with Computer Applications

Departmental Certificate Courses:
1.   Commercial and Industrial Mathematics.
2.   Tissue Culture Techniques
3.   Home Management & Health Care
4.   Personal Grooming
5.   Sartorial Decoration. (Apparel Design)
6.   Interior Decoration
7.   Tally Graduation and Personality Development
8.   Manufacturing of Soaps, Detergents, and Cosmetics etc.
9.   Production of Bio-control Agent.
10.   Vermi-compost Production.
11.   Oyster Mushroom Production.
12.   Module course in Fashion Technology
13.   Diploma in Computer Applications.
In addition to the above, the College gives coaching classes for the following competitive examinations:
1.   Common Proficiency Test of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (CPT)
2.   Coaching classes for JRF/NET examinations.

What type of Scholarship are you providing at the College level?
Scholarships provided:
Seventy Five Awards/Scholarships/Prizes for top academic achievers
Percentage of students covered by Govt. scholarship: 22 %.
Percentage of students covered by fund from College and other Agencies: 26 %.
In addition to the above, the management spends a substantial sum every year to provide noon-meal and financial aid for study tours to the poor students. The College also has the system of helping the poor students with study materials and equipment. The College advances money to them if any delay is caused by the Government in disbursing the amount. They are also offered all sorts of financial support for which the poor and the needy are eligible. The SC/ST students get ample support at the academic level as well. The College holds remedial classes for SC/ST students in all concerned subjects especially for English and Science subjects.
Incentives to Sports Persons: Admission reservations as stipulated by the Government and the University, free boarding and lodging in the sports hostel for 25 players of Volley ball, Kho-kho, Kabaddi, Judo, Archery and Ball Badminton selected by the Management, Sports hostel facilities for six volleyball players selected by Sports Council of Kerala - are some of the incentives given to sports persons.
The two physical education lecturers, the special Volley ball Sports Council coach and the coaches specially appointed by the Management, guide the sport activities of the College. During the post accreditation period, our volley ball and badminton teams performed extremely well. The achievers among the sports persons are felicitated by the PTA, Faculty, Staff and the students.