Union Christian College,Meghalaya

HISTORY
On the 22nd September 1936, a group of representatives from various missions in Assam met in Shillong, to consider the organization of a council of churches in the erstwhile undivided Assam. One year later on the 23rd September 1937, the new authorized group met again to form a committee to set up a college. It included Rev.T.E. Pugh, J.M. Forbes, Rev.J.J.M. Nichols Roy and Rai Bahadur D.Ropmay, with Dr. Victor Hugo Sword as its Chairman and Treasurer.

In 1941, the Assam Christian Council communicated with the other member-affiliated churches to generate funds for the noble project, and was assured of receiving four annas (25 paise) each member, as well as other special gifts.

Thus strengthened, Dr. Sword was entrusted with the task of procuring a suitable site for the proposed college on 28th August 1948. His pleas to the Baptist Church to provide the Guwahati campus which had 22 acres of land was turned down because of the financial burden it would incur. The Council, in 1950, thus reaffirmed Barapani as the best location for the project, and voted to set the wheels in motion in July 1951, backed enthusiastically by the American Baptist Board.

With such a mission, the College classes commenced on Friday, the 14th August 1952.

The dedication service was held on Saturday, the 29th August 1953 at 12:45 PM, to coincide with the meeting of Assam Christian Council (12-30 August 1953) in Shillong. The official opening ceremony took place on the 7th November 1953 and it was inaugurated by Shri M.M. Choudhury, Ministry for Food and Agriculture, Government of Assam (undivided Assam). The College began with a humble sum of Rs.8,475/- collected from donors. The ecumenical work camp consisting of all the affiliated local churches was organized to clear the jungles and begin the Construction work. Volunteers came from USA, UK, Australia, Japan, Burma, Africa, Srilanka, and Pakistan to name a few. Initially there was only one student and four teachers. Gradually the strength rose to 11, including one female student.

These students were:

Gasperley Marwein, West Khasi Hills,
Onershing Q.Marak, Garo Hills,
Yasathung Lotha, Nagaland,
Miss Alice Laurence, Jorhat,
Tekachangt Ao, Changki, Nagaland,
Sanmonger Ao, Changki, Nagaland,
Plausing. K. Marak,Garo Hills,
A.S.Tuisem, Ukhrul, Manipur,
Samuel Hembrom, Goalpara, Assam
Wilfred Goldsmith, Jorhat,Assam,
Elphinstone R.Marak, Garo Hills.


The Teachers included:



Mr.B.M.Pugh – Principal
Mr. I.M.Simon-English Department
Miss Enid Pugh – Logic
Miss Mary Abraham-History
Mr. Rajarathnam -Economics
By all means the genesis was modest and humble.

The mission statement of Union Christian College is in itself, indicative of the fact that the Institution serves one of the most valued objectives of the Constitution of India, which is to provide the lights of higher education to its students.

Towards this goal, it caters to the educational needs of the tribes from the all corners of the North East, and envisages a unique system of value-education that provides for an acquaintance with ideals based on a firm Christian background, as well as secularism, tolerance and synthesis in Indian Culture with focus on the North East ethno-cultural unity, irrespective of the belief systems.

VISION AND MISSION
Union Christian College is a “minuscule North East'' embracing a diverse and complex multi-cultural ethos where ideals, perceptions and aspirations vary. Within the framework of such diversity the only way equity can be ensured is to make good quality education available to all in an ambit of natural physical space, the teaching-learning process, the strong presence of the Chapel, the calendar of events, good teacher students relationship - all of which provide a conducive ambience that is most beneficial for the spiritual growth of the stakeholders.



This is evident in the community and diversity of its inmates who break out of their insularity while still retaining their distinct identity, as also display their creative talents, organizational and leadership skills. A perusal of the list of its alumni will reveal that such a value-education incorporates both change and continuity, and leads to an all-round development of the students and prepares them to be responsible members of society at large.

To produce leaders of integrity and respected citizens of society and the nation.
Add-on Vision - To empower the students for workplace and life

To empower stakeholders for development, sustenance and enhancement of quality in life
Add-on Mission

Providing empowerment workshop and training to students that foster workplace readiness
Providing empowerment counseling that builds stronger self -efficiency to face the challenges and learning needs of daily life.
Providing students with facilities that help them in their vertical and horizontal progression.
Inculcating qualitative improvement of teaching-learning, evaluation
Retraining teachers for capacity building for empowering the students
To promote knowledge and value-based education through academic excellence.
To train self employment
To inculcate spirit of leadership among the students
To constantly improve the quality of academic inputs.
The institution takes pride in the fact that it serves one of the most valued objectives in the national interest- namely providing the light of higher education to the tribal students. Almost 85 percent of the students belong to the Scheduled Tribe Communities of the most interior corners of North Eastern India and therefore students coming to this institution get an opportunity to join the national workforce after completing their graduation and thereby delivering the need of national development.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPALl


Principal UCC - Dr.S.R.LyndemHigher Education, in any context and more so in the contemporary context of globalization, is a prerequisite for the supply of highly qualified and trained manpower. It is also seen as the key to social cohesion and to mitigate the consequences of globalization. With the dissemination and proliferation of information through the use of technology, a higher education institute nowadays is expected to invent new and innovative methods that involve continually accessing, evaluating and applying techniques and strategies, engaging in constructive interactions that extend the knowledge, and liaising with the local community.

In the light of such conditions, any intellectual endeavor needs a system of review for success or failure of its basic practices as determined by an authorized body of professionals; in other words, to assess its worth.

Paradigms may shift, opportunities for transformation may be provided, the output can be standardized but the quest for excellence continues. That is how complacency is checked. Having completed five year tenure of Assessment, Union Christian College acknowledges that it is important to redefine the responsibilities so as to create the best possible learning environment for the main stakeholders, and enjoy the journey with all its highs and lows.

In the beginning, our idea about Quality Assurance was not only inexact and tentative, but nowhere were we aware about the “what” and “how” of quality assurance.

After getting assessed by NAAC, although the importance of quality in Higher Education was felt, the conception about quality assurance remained limited in the implementation of the recommendations by NAAC. While fulfilling such recommendations religiously, certain questions consistently haunted in the backend of our mind

Is quality a destination or a journey?
How quality as a process should be and could be comprehended?
How quality could be made a defining element in our institution?
We reviewed literature, we explored the experiences of HEIs across the globe, we shared the wisdom of experts in this field and we soon realized that if quality is to be our identity then there is a necessity of obtaining inputs from experts in this field so that quality initiatives do not become adhoc and piece-meal efforts. Based on such realization the college embarked on to weave a synergic relationship with External Quality Agency, with a definite objective of understanding what is to be done and how to do the needful. During the last two years such synergic endeavors has enriched us with two understandings

Qualitative development is not any numerical increment but net value addition to stakeholders
Quality is not a destination, but a never ending journey
With this reoriented vision and understanding we have prepared for reaccreditation, and we confidently believe that such reaccreditation by NAAC now and in the years to come, will enable us to make quality the defining element of our existence.

I welcome the National Assessment and Accreditation Council to Union Christian College for our reaccreditation in the year 2011.

CORE VALUES
Contributing to National Development



-Serving students from Seven States of North East
-Serving tribal students mostly

Inculcating a Value System among Students
-Value-education through Chapel service
-Conduct of extension services to build citizenship roles

Quest for Excellence
-Leadership of the Principal towards quality initiatives
-Synergy of IQA and EQA towards Quality Assurance

Global Competencies among Students
-Empowering teachers to empower the students
-Enhancing employability skills through collaborations

Promoting the Use of Technology
-Empowering students with e-literacy
-Basic computer for all, learning 21st century technology.

OUR MOTTO

Come to the living water
Drink from its springs of healing
All who are sin-sick and weary
Come and be satisfied
From Calv‘rys mount of Blessing
Mercy has been outpoured
O come to Christ, the cleansing fountain.
Come to the living water,
Drinking and thirst no more,
Come to the saviour,
He a blessing will outpour
‘O‘ come and be satisfied,
O come, to the living water
And thirst no more.

OUR ANTHEM

Bless UCC fair home of hope and dreams
Amid fields full of fragrance and delight;
Perenial fountains, rivers and rippling steams,
The splendour of starry skies at night.
Here there is beauty, here the forest grow,
And here the sunshine, rain and refreshing breeze
Combine to make a little heav'n below,
A pool of peace among the friendly trees.
Here is our delight, here we strive and yearn
For these gifts Thy wisdom can impart;
And through our common fellowship to learn
The vision promised to the pure in heart;
Thy hand, O Lord, has been upon this place,
Still we may follow and obey Thy call,
And grant that we continue in Thy grace,
And on this college let Thy blessing fall.
- AMEN