CMS College of Science & Commerce, Coimbatore

CMSCSC is a ISO 9001-2008 certified institution granted autonomous status in 2007 by UGC, and awarded A rating by NAAC in 2012  Hemalatha Raghupathi

Spread over a serene 26-acre landscaped campus in Chinnavedampatti, a suburb of the textile city of Coimbatore (pop. 1.05 million), CMS College of Science and Commerce (CMSCSC) offers over 45 undergrad, postgraduate and doctoral programmes to 3,200 students including 500 foreign scholars from over 20 countries (Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Middle East, Rwanda, Sudan, Vietnam, Burundi, Kenya, etc) worldwide. Established in 1988 by the Coimbatore Malayali Samajam (CMS) under the aegis of the CMS Educational and Charitable Trust, CMSCSC has rapidly evolved into one of the city’s top-ranked colleges delivering contemporary academic programmes on a state-of-the-art campus. In 2014, newsmagazine India Today ranked CMSCSC #1 in Coimbatore in its annual survey of India’s Best Colleges.

Affiliated with the Coimbatore-based Bharathiar University, CMSCSC is an ISO 9001-2008 certified institution granted autonomous status in 2007 by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and an ‘A’ rating by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2012. A respected name in professional education in southern India, the CMS Trust has promoted three higher ed institutions in Coimbatore — the CMS Institute of Management Studies (estb. 1994), CMS Academy of Management and Technology (2009) and CMS College of Engineering and Technology (2009).

“Our objective is to deliver holistic education which combines rigorous academics with extra-curricular education. To this end, we offer a wide range of co-curricular activities and sports facilities, and since we admit students from across India and abroad, we encourage cultural and religious celebrations on campus to promote international peace and harmony. To enhance the employability of our students and ensure they acquire relevant industry skills, all our ten departments offer value-added certificate programmes. Our goal is to develop confident citizens who succeed in the workplace and life,” says Dr. S. Sandhya Menon, an alumna of Madras and Bharathiar universities with over 26 years of teaching experience, who was appointed principal of CMSCSC in 2014.

Currently the college, which employs 139 faculty and 152 non-teaching staff, offers a choice of 18 undergraduate, 16 postgraduate, 10 research and four doctorate programmes. It’s the only college affiliated with Bharathiar University to offer an undergrad degree in physical education, with 22 of 40 students enrolled in the programme provided full tuition and hostel fee waiver. The institution prides itself on providing academic and financial support to students from economically weaker sections (EWS). To enable EWS students to fund their studies through part-time jobs — Coimbatore is a major  industrial hub of India with over 25,000 small, medium and large companies — the management runs morning classes from 9 am-2.10 pm. It also conducts free English language classes for foreign students. Part and full scholarships are awarded for academic merit and excellence in sports.

To provide a contemporary and well-rounded education to indigenous and foreign students, the trustees of CMSCSC have invested heavily in state-of-the-art academic and sports infrastructure. The college’s wi-fi enabled 26-acre campus boasts eight modern laboratories including a spacious bio-sciences lab fitted with the latest equipment, and a sophisticated centrally air-conditioned English language lab. Its 6,200 sq. ft fully computerised library houses 63,000 volumes and subscribes to 206 national and international journals and magazines. A meticulously laid out one-acre bio-diversity park with over 200 trees, medicinal plants and herbs facilitates the college’s unique Nurture Nature for Future programme. Residential facilities comprising three hostels for men, two for women and one for international students offer modern accommodation. Other facilities include over 650 computer terminals, an open air and two indoor auditoriums, a cafetaria, medical room and guest house.

With the CMSCSC management committed to placing physical education on a par with academics, the college has excellent sports and games facilities including a fully-equipped gym, football field, volleyball, basketball, tennis and badminton courts and cricket ground. Unsurprisingly, its students have won laurels in several state, national and international level sports tournaments. Additionally, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities such as NSS, NCC, theatre, science, nature and fine arts clubs enrich the academic experience.

The sustained effort of the CMSCSC management to provide certified soft skills programmes — group discussions and interview techniques — has paid rich dividends. During the past few years, the college has consistently maintained a 90 percent-plus placement record. Among the major campus recruiters are South Indian Bank, TCS, Infosys, Ford Business, Mahindra Satyam and Lotus 8 Hotels, among others.

Twenty-seven years on, and well established as a top-ranked college in peninsular India, CMSCSC is set to enhance its academic menu and reputation. “We plan to introduce two new undergraduate courses in the commerce school, and doctorate programmes in English and computer science. Our ultimate aim is to become a deemed university and strengthen our reputation for providing high quality, affordable education,” says Menon.