The college is a Roman Catholic minority institution, under the management of the Society of Jesus Mary Joseph, registered under the Societies Registration Act of XXI of 1860. The college is recognized as a minority institution by Minority Welfare Department and it has a permanent ‘minority certificate’. While Article 29 of Indian Constitution protects the interests of the minorities in general, Article 30 safeguards their right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. Thus, the Supreme Court of India safeguards the Right to admission, Right to Medium of instruction, Right to appoint staff and Right to administer. In this context, the college imparts a sound Christian education and also caters to the interests of students of other creeds. The college also stands for women empowerment, social service, social justice, equality of opportunity, integral development of personality and respect for religious and moral values enshrined in the Constitution of India.

St. Joseph’s College of Education for Women had its very humble beginnings on the 1st July in 1946, with just 12 students on rolls. It was the first of its kind in Andhra Pradesh, meant solely for the training of women graduates and post-graduates of all creeds and communities in general and Christians in particular.

The college offering B. Ed. and M.Ed. programmes is affiliated to the NagarjunaUniversity, Nagarjuna Nagar, Guntur. And DE.d programme affiliated to NCTE. The college was founded under the dynamic leadership of Rev. Sr. Stanislaus SwamikannuPillai, who was the first Principal and Mother Angelina was the first Correspondent of the college. Stanislaus was primarily instrumental in setting the college on sound lines with her administrative acumen, vision and perseverance. Rev. Sr. Anna Maria who followed her was a prudent perfectionist and strove for the expansion of the institution. Rev. Sr. Theresalina’s contribution as a principal has also been very noteworthy.

During her principalship Rev. Sr. Pauline Joseph, made a commendable contribution by introducing the M.Ed. Course in our college. Dr. Sr. Mary Thomas as the Principal had the privilege of organizing the Golden Jubilee of the college. The college experienced a short principalship of Rev. Sr. Ignatius Loyola, followed by

Rev. Sr. G. Theresamma who contributed her might to go for NAAC and Autonomous status. Dr. Mrs. D. VijayaBharathi was then principal of the college for a couple of years and presently the Principal of the college is Dr. K. Jayasree.

All the principals and correspondents worked to the best of their ability towards the present status of the college. The college has also experienced very long and dedicated services of some staff members – both teaching and non-teaching. Almost all the teaching staff have Doctoral Degrees and the remaining are working for their research degrees.
As many as, ten thousand nine hundred students have passed out from the portals of this college in flying colours and have taken up very responsible positions in the society, not only in the field of education but in other fields too

Our Motto – “Love Joy and Service”

The Charism of the Society is ‘ever adaptable and apostolic availability’, which enables us to reach out to the needy in all corners of the world. We are inspired and led by our Lord Jesus Christ who lived a life of love and service. As educationists, our service to the society is to provide quality education, an essential need of one and all. For us teaching is not a profession but a vocation – a call. The college with its motto of Love, Joy, and Service has been inculcating in the students the truth that we must find Love and Joy in the Service that we render to the society, that Service rendered with Love should bring Joy both to the giver and to the receiver. In the years to come we hope to ‘reach the unreached’, ‘include the excluded’ and give the ‘best to the least’ – focusing on women for their empowerment.

Our Objectives
The vision of the founder of the Society of JMJ is reflected in our objective – Empowerment of women – specially the poor and the marginalized. Hence we strive:

• To mould the student teachers as women of character, with intellectual excellence and moral and spiritual values.
• To meet the demands and requirements of the oppressed women, a women’s cell was set up which provides guidance and counseling.
• To prepare women graduates and post-graduates as efficient and effective teachers by nurturing in them a comprehensive knowledge through the conduct of curricular and co-curricular programmes.
• To endow the student teachers with knowledge and values which are productive and effective.
• To develop the personality of the student teachers by inculcating in them good convictions, sound principles and high ethical values, needed in their profession as teachers.
• To ensure the holistic development of the student teachers

The college is situated in the heart of the GunturCity close to the bus station and railway station. The college is at a vantage point for all the strategic places in the city, much to the convenience of the students to approach, like shopping centres, libraries and institutions. The college has all the modern facilities such as a permanent building with spacious lecture halls, classrooms, a well equipped library with reading space, a science laboratory, with adequate furniture and required amenities, a play ground, and an open-air auditorium, in addition to an adequately furnished assembly hall, a seminar hall and an indoor games hall. The college has a computer lab with 92 systems, an SUPW room, a games equipment room, a well-equipped English lab and guest room. A home away from home is the hostel, with well-ventilated and airy rooms with all amenities and furniture, two dining halls, kitchen, a guestroom and a chapel.

The syllabus though heavy and comprehensive is also practice oriented and realistic. Care is taken to bring about all round development in the student teachers by providing them an array of opportunities to make them productive and effective teachers for the future.

Our assets and strength are not only our management, staff, and students, but also our ‘ModelSchool’ with its headmistress, teachers, and students and the local schools, which provide immense help to our student teachers in the completion of their practice teaching and internship programmes.

The college is an integral part of the society and involves itself in a lot of community activities by extending to the society material and human resources as and when required, whether it be for the many competitive exams which are regularly conducted in the college or the community activities and programmes like – JanmaBhoomi, AksharaDeepthi etc.

Service to women towards their empowerment, which is a major aim of the Society of Jesus Mary Joseph is also fulfilled by the college. True to its spirit, “a women’s cell” was started on the 8th March 1997 to synchronize with the International Women’s Day, with a view to study and solve the problems of women. The objectives of this cell are to impart knowledge, information and values related to women, to render family counselling to improve women spiritually, intellectually and economically. The cell is continuously trying to achieve its objectives under the able guidance of the Directress, the Principal of the college, the staff and students, who are the members of the cell.

Our Alumni Association, which was formed during the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the college, met occasionally and at the Golden Jubilee it was decided that the Alumni should meet every year on the 2nd Saturday of July. The association works to maintain relations between the old students and seeks advice and information for the progress of the college.

The examination results have been persistently excellent, and almost cent percent. Our students have stood first in the University exams several times, and more particularly our M.Ed. students have stood 1st at the University level for the past five years continuously.