Institutional Distinctiveness

Institutional Distinctiveness

Sacred Heart College is a ray of hope and empowerment for young women from diverse socio-economic strata across Kerala. In keeping with its motto ‘Light shines in darkness’, the college has an exceptional reputation in the transformation of lives of generations of women students who have traversed through its portals. The institution is constantly striving to stay ahead of the pack in its endeavour to address the changing needs of students,to provide game-changing education in the most effective and compassionate manner.

Women-centric Founding Mission and Vision

Sacred Heart College was founded as a Junior College in 1980 by the Alvernia Province of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation. The college was upgraded to a degree College in 1991. The college is now in its 43^rd year of empowering young women with inclusive education.

Our vision has been to provide education that transforms lives of students so that they are empowered to

• Become competent young women providing innovative leadership
• Create a just, humane and inclusive society
• Engage in the academic pursuit of truth and search for righteous living
• Learn to interact with people and society and transform into socially, environmentally responsible gender-sensitive citizens

Value-based Education

• Sacred Heart College strongly believes in providing transformative education that is well-entrenched in value systems. Concrete steps are taken to implement the national education policy of India which insists that values, heritage and culture should be promoted in campuses.
• The integration of moral and spiritual values is given top priority especially since today’s young people are facing a value crisis, value confusion and conflict in the face of technological revolution especially the unlimited access to digital devices and digital content.
• Teachers of the institution play a significant role in imparting value-based education.
• The college focuses on providing education that prepares young women to meet the unknown challenges of the future. Emphasis is given to education that helps them to appreciate our rich cultural heritage and values, to develop their own values and value system which will guide them in their personal and social life and form the foundation of the society we dream of.
• A value-nurturing climate is fostered in the institution through the following measures:

1. 1. Care is exercised to ensure that every student feels she belongs. The management and staff play a protective, caring, supporting and nurturing role so that students feel secure and comfortable in the college and can use all their energy for personal growth.
   2. Teachers are a great educative influence since care is taken to ensure that there is a congruence between the person and the role she/he is identified with.
   3. Rules and norms of the institution (Code of Conduct) like wearing of uniforms, and restriction on use of gold ornaments, keeping mobile phones in the respective departmental staffrooms etc, are formulated on the basis of reason and communicated to the students in a direct and non-threatening way.
   4. Promotion of the idea that awards and sanctions is based on the ideal that good actions/behaviour is its own basic motive and also its reward.
   5. Appreciation of students for their achievements but not merely in terms of measuring performance fosters a climate of growth.

The institution has identified the priority areas in providing  value-based education

Education for peace and harmony

• Communal harmony, tolerance and national integration is promoted through invited talks, cultural competitions and celebration of pan-Indian festivals, commemoration of special days and a no-discrimination policy strictly observed. value education classes for non-Christians and Value orientation talks by faculty are conducted every week. All students are given total freedom to observe their religious practices and customs.
• Respect for life by helping students understand the fundamental sacredness of life through various activities and programs organised by the Departments, the NSS and the Value Education Committee.
• Inculcating a sense of justice by becoming agents of social change by providing opportunities to students to contribute to make the society they live in become a better place. Visits to old age and children’s homes, cleaning of railway station, local government hospital during the COVID pandemic, cleaning of water bodies, collection and distribution of groceries to needy families, distribution of cleaning kits, groceries during the floods, blood donation camps, hair donation drives are just some of the programs organised towards this end.
• Issues of women are given special emphasis by organising a variety of gender sensitisation programs under the auspices of the Women’s Cell, the NSS and the departments.
• Job-oriented education through different programs conducted to promote entrepreneurship and self-employment by the IQAC and the departments and the career and placement cell.
• Faith in the Divine promoted by organising programs that help in strengthening the spirit of students and faculty and counteracting materialism and consumerism. Retreats, Holy Mass, Adoration and Catechism classes are conducted regularly for catholic students. Staff attend a special morning prayer everyday and value orientation classes are arranged for non-Catholics at the college and departmental levels.
• Self-respect and self-esteem nurtured by imbibing respect for the given work, cleanliness of self and surroundings and taking pride in work well-done.
• Initiative and creativity rewarded by commending and congratulating students and staff in public spaces and digital media. Resignation, slavishness and imitation is discouraged.
• Opportunities given for practising democracy by arranging talks on civic rights, political rights, human rights, women’s rights etc, celebration of Independence and Republic Day, Constitution Day, International Women’s Day, programs arranged in association with Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) and involvement in rallies and street plays to instill awareness in the local community in association with the local bodies in the interest of public and social causes.
• Ecology and environment consciousness instilled among students by organising a number of activities to commemorate World Environment Day, World Water Day, World Soil Day, World Forest Day, Energy Conservation Day. A plastic-free, carbon-neutral and green campus, carbo measures for waste management, use of solar power and bio-gas plant for recycling and energy generation, use of LED lights etc silently conveys the message of being individually and collectively responsible for our environment.