Teresian College, Mysore

About Teresian College, Mysore

Teresian College is situated four kms away from the din and busite of the Royal city of Mysore, on the way to the temple town of T.Narasipura. A wide gate with a huge arch bearing the college emblem and bold metallic letters denoting the name of the college, opens into an asphalted way lined on either side by tall elegant Polyalthia trees swaying in cool breeze. One gets the impression of entering a meticulously maintained park or a beautiful natural landscape. A little distance from the entrance a statue of St. Teresa of Avila patron saint of Teresian raised on a pedestal at the centre of a fountain beckons the visitor to feel the serenity of the atmosphere surrounding the campus, which makes it an ideal place for teaching and learning. St. Teresa of Avila, the patron saint of Teresian who symbolizes selfless dedication and devotion to the cause of downtrodden and less privileged was the source of motivation and inspiration for the Carmelite Sisters of St. Teresa (CSST) to start a women's college in a remote corner of Mysore, which became the pride of the city within a short span of time.

The decisive dream that was nurtured by a group of Sisters with deep and genuine concern for women's education headed by its foundress, late Mother Euphrasia was the nucleus of this institution. She toiled relentlessly with her dedicated collaborators to make the dream a reality in the birth of an institution - The Teresian College for women in the year 1963.After obtaining the permission from the Superior General to start the college, time was limited; land, buildings, personnel and equipments had to be acquired without ready resources. Within five months, the PUC classes had to be commenced and still numerous conditions of the education departments had to be fulfilled. While hunting high and low for the site, providence willed that Summer Palace (Manoranjan Mahal) of Mr. Maden Gopal Raj Urs should be the future Teresian. The site was purchased for Rs. 1,40,000/-.

18th of March 1963 was a memorable day in the history of Teresian when they took possession of the building. Temporary sheds were erected to house classrooms and laboratories. The institution had to face innumerable hurdles to begin with, Financial constraints apart, lack of personnel, irregular and scanty transport, meagre water supply were the problems that required immediate attention. The first PUC classes were started in Arts & Science on 22nd July 1963, with a strength of 69. The initial progress was rapid; by 1966 the number had gone up to 181 out of which 70 were provided accommodation in the campus. Teresian made noteworthy achievements during these years, particularly in the field of sports and games, which gave her a unique place among the women's colleges in the University and te State.
The Misereor Grants were received in 1970, with which the new Science block and hostel were completed in 1973. Once the financial insecurity was tackled there was no looking back and the college very quickly reached high standard of efficiency. The emphasis was in admitting average students and make them really above average, unlike most of the colleges which keep a cutoff percentage for admission to attract the best. Hence the college became very popular even though its location was considered to be 'out of the city'those days before the city started extending. Teresian became a landmark in the true sense of the word, finding a place of prominence in the map of the city.

During these forty years, growth of the institution has been enormous. In the year 1988 the Silver Jubilee of the college was celebrated and to commemorate the occasion Silver Jubilee Hostel was inaugurated. In a short span of 25 years of pioneering service in the field of education the college developed extensively and earned the admiration of the public. It has undergone modernization and extension process to keep pace with the changing times. In spite of mushrooming of colleges in and around the city and also in its vicinity, Teresian has managed to maintain a student strength of over 1200. The secret of this success is evident in the goals, aims and objectives of the college reflected in the curricula, which created conducive environment not just for academic excellence but for the growth of the personality too. The college is named after St. Teresa of Avila, a mystic of 16th Century and a reformer of Carmelite Order from which Carmelite Sisters of St. Teresa draw inspiration. The college emblem consists of the Apostolic Crest which is constituted by a mountain, three stars, cross and five-flowered crown. The Scrolls contain the motto of the college "Virtue is the sole and only nobility".