The Middle School, opened by Lala Jowala Das in 1897, was raised to a High School in1905. Chaudhri Fateh-ud-Din, who some years back, retired from the Punjab education service as inspector of schools, Multan Division, was the first headmaster of the high school. To the historiographer, the institution presents the appearance of a rapidly growing youth, who is constantly outgrowing his garments. The high school began to grow in numbers and reputation and it had the exceptional good luck of having a succession of very competent headmasters ….. man who had made their mark in the service. In 1908 Sardar Mohan Singh took over from Chaudhri Fateh-ud-Din, and in turn made over to Lala Harkishen Das, M.A., who remained in charge of the school from 1909 to 1919.
During the headmastership of Lala Harkishen Das the school became very popular, and the records state that the old building (now occupied by the Government Intermediate College for Woman) was soon found to be insufficient for the requirements of the school. With the sympathetic support of Col. Douglas, the then Deputy Commissioner of Lyallpur, Lala Harkishen Das was able to persuade the department to sanction a grant for the new building. Lala Harkishen Das, who has since retired from the service, mentions that the keen personal interest in the matter taken by the late Rai Bahadur Sundar Das Suri, the then Inspector of schools, was of great help to him in securing the building grant of Rs. 1, 15, 000*.
The building operations were taken in hand in 1912, but it was three years before the school could be moved into the new building, which with slight alterations and a few additions forms the present building of the college. A very conspicuous feature of the present building is the lovely approach linked on both sides with artistically planted trees of thick foliage forming a beautiful avenue. It testifies to the artistic taste of the planter. The layout of the playfields also reflects credit on those who ‘broke the first sod’.
The building itself has little of architectural design or beauty about it, being severely utilitarian in aspect ……. a fit commentary on the spirit of the age in which we live.
Even as a school this institution was able to instill into the young minds of its alumni that love which draws out and develops the healthiest sentiments. Writing in the Degree College special number of the Beacon, an old boy of the school gives expression to his feelings in the following words:-
“These precincts were our ‘world’ years ago. Even now, of some fine morning, when the doors are shut and nobody is near by, I go out of my way and pass through the corridors of this old school of mine. There is none who can dispute this right of old, and once again I feel like a child in the lap of its mother…..”
The school continued to make progress and the next headmaster of note was Sheikh Mohammad Zahur-ud-Din, now Inspector of schools, Rawalpindi Division.
Lala Lachman Das, Head Clerk, who has been associated with the institution for over 19 years, tells an interesting anecdote regarding the next landmark in our annals.
In the year 1924, at the prize distribution of the school, the Headmaster Lala Hukam Chand, in his report remarked that there was persistence rumour ‘hanging like the sword of Damocles’ to the effect that the school would soon be converted into an intermediate college. On the conclusion of the Headmaster’s report Sir George Anderson in his presidential speech humorously told the gathering that the sword of Damocles which the Headmaster feared, must fall, and that the High School would be raised to an Intermediate College from May, 1924.
In May, 1924, the High School became an Intermediate College …… four-year institution with two high classes and two intermediate classes. Rana Abdul Hamid Khan, now the Principal of the deMontmorency College, Shahpur Sadr, was appointed the first Principal, but he was here for the brief space of four months only. On September 15, 1924, Mr. W.H.F. Armstrong assumed charge of the institution.
To start with, the high classes were fairly big, containing in all some 150 students, but the numbers in the high classes soon began to dwindle and recruitment to these classes became a troublesome problem for the authorities. Reviewing the entire period from the year 1924 to the year 1933, we find a steady decline in the number of students in these classes this was due largely to the absence of feeder schools and the competition of the high schools having their own middle departments. The maintenance of these classes consequently became very expensive and the dropping away of these classes in 1933 enabled the institution to effect an appreciable economy in the per capita cost of maintenance. All through the years the annual reports contain a note of pessimism in regard to the high classes. To quote from the principal’s report for 1032-33 “the local MBA school is not working as a feeder school (Large proportion of the studies bring draft into the high schools) for our 9th class. The Principal have no control over the school, and to the cooperation of the distract inspector of schools is scarcely of any help in improving the enrolment and the Municipal Committee has apparently no sympathy with our school classes. In these unfavorable circumstances we find the number in the school classes to be steadily decreasing in spite of our best efforts to the country.”
Thus, we find the college slowly reaching out to a higher destiny, where the high classes will have no place in the economy of things.
The history of the intermediate classes, however, presents an interesting contrast to the career of IX and X classes. In the year of the opening of the college, as many as 97 students were admitted to the first year. In the following year (1925), 117 were admitted and Principal Armstrong’s report for the year bespeaks some embarrassment pride on this score. “When the third class (i.e,first year classes) admissions took place in January, 1925,” remarks the Principal “I admitted 117 applications and turned away many……. More then one hundred students were admitted on the assumption that some would fall out after the vocation.”
The popularity of our intermediate classes encouraged the local Khalsa High School to convert itself into an intermediate college. But the opening of this college did not, in any manner, adversely affect our number. “Once again,” runs the report for 1926-27, “when the III class (year I) was admitted in January, 1926, many applications had to be turned away especially on the science side. The opening of a new Khalsa College at Lyallpur and a new Government College at Jhang apparently had no effect what ever on the number desiring admission to this college.”
In January 2012, University Degree College was proclaimed as University Community College by the university Syndicate, and a variety of market driven programs based on local and regional community and business needs were offered from the fall semester 2012.
The University Community College’s distinctive structure, born of its history, is a source of strength. The college offers an environment which is both supportive to individual scholars and characterized by a defining and enduring sense of community. The personal sense of academic identity that it provides is life-long.
Highly qualified, experienced, and capable faculty members are resolved to work in this college with full devotion and dedication. In an exceptionally short span of time, college has possessed the capacity to set up the most elevated principles of scholastic advancement through various educational programs being offered at the college.
The University Community College imparts quality market-responsive training particularly intended to meet the changing specialized necessities of present job market in Pakistan. It draws in the students and employees who need to upgrade representative profitability at a small or vast business, need information to stay current in the related specialized field or they are considering a career change and customized solutions to meet the needs of business and industry.
University Community College gives a reasonable lively training in a different urban environment. Its educational projects are intended to advance the social, municipal and monetary fabric of our group, country and the world at large. It provides access and opportunities for non-traditional students; work-force development and training resources for economic growth and strategic partnership with the community.