Forman Christian College grew from a primary school for boys, which was later known as Rang Mahal Mission High School. Dr Charles W. Forman, a Presbyterian missionary from the USA, founded Forman Christian College in 1864 then named as the Lahore Mission College in noble pursuit of the motto, "By love serve one another".
In 1894, it was officially named Forman Christian College in honour of its founder. Soon thereafter it successfully emerged as one of the leading institutions of higher learning in the subcontinent.
FC College was widely recognised for its meritorious work of nurturing and consolidating the social and intellectual capital of Pakistan.
Many Formanites rose to positions of community leadership and became pioneers in the fields of politics, literature, sciences, civil services, armed forces, law/judiciary and business.
Today, prominent Formanites shaping Pakistan's future include the President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, the Chief Minister of the Punjab, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Group Captain (Retd), Cecil Chaudhry and Mr Ahmad Saeed, Chairman PIA.
In 1972, the Pakistan Government nationalised several educational institutions, including FC College. After 31 years, on March 19, 2003, Forman Christian College was denationalised and returned to the Presbyterian Church (USA), original owners of the property.
In March 2004, FC College was awarded degree-granting authority and is now a University.
The University is in the process of forming a Board of Governors and revising the curriculum so that a four-year baccalaureate degree recognised internationally will be offered in September 2005.
The Board of Governors of Forman Christian College now consists of 14 members, all of whom are citizens and residents of Pakistan with the Principal as its Secretary. Together with the management team, they are committed to providing an ideal climate of learning for students with high regard for excellence of academic standards, moral and social values, personal concern for students and maintenance of campus facilities and its infrastructure.
Forman Christian College now embarks on a new phase of its existence and strives to uphold the noble traditions on which it was founded to promote human fellowship that transcends the barriers of religious dogma.
OUR FACULTY: We have a faculty of over 150 members who constitute a team of highly motivated and dedicated teachers. After a rigorous evaluation of academic and professional credentials, we have selected seasoned faculty members who conform to our cherished ideals integral to our social and intellectual identity as an institution.
MISSION AND VALUES: All faculty, administrative staff and students must support the stated mission of FC College.
The strongest point of our existing faculty which constitutes the core of our selection criteria is their loyalty and allegiance to our noble mission. This allegiance is one of the greatest assets that allows us to mould young minds into socially responsible individuals.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS: In addition to having a thorough grip on their subjects (field of expertise), we require our faculty to have mastery over the art of communication, which is essential for productive teacher-taught interaction in the class.
What adds up to their communicative excellence is a consciously planned admixture of the following:
-- Good work ethics
-- Intellectual and moral integrity
-- Student-centred instructional techniques
-- Adherence to the lesson plan prepared for each day
-- Enforcement of punctuality by personal example
-- Ability to give the best knowledge and information to students in their subjects in the best possible way/manner
STUDENT LIFE: Education does not imply simply the acquisition of degrees/diplomas to gain admittance to graduate school or the job market. The overall impact of education affects the total personality of the student.
We intend to help our students whether they are planning their first or second (graduate) degree or developing their professional skills in some other planned direction.
Our goal is to help them make the most of their time at Forman Christian College by providing them learning experiences inside and outside the classroom.
We invite them to use these resources to achieve their educational goals and to make their experience at Forman Christian College highly productive and memorable.
We strive to make the best use of our faculty's expertise in their respective fields by making the fruits of their experience available to our students.
The teachers extend much support to their students in planning their future course of endeavour so as to improve their performance and their overall personality during the course of their academic pursuits in college.
We take care to ensure that education as an activity of the mind is not merely restricted to the study of books in a classroom environment and that it goes well beyond it to reach the higher ideals of intellectual excellence through a broad-based effort of direction and character control.
CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Forman Christian College is committed to providing a holistic education. Classroom learning is supplemented by opportunities for students' intellectual and moral growth through carefully planned literary and academic activities and programmes.
A Cultural Societies Board co-ordinates and promotes activities of all the existing student societies. In this manner, our sportsmen, debaters, dramatic and musical teams contribute meaningfully towards student growth and the reputation of the college.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI:
-- General Pervez Musharraf
-- Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi
-- Group Captain (Retd) Cecil Chaudhry
-- Mohammadmian Soomro
-- Ahmad Saeed
-- Abdul Majeed
-- A.H. Paracha
-- Hafeez Akhtar Randhawa
-- Jamsheed K.A. Marker
-- Khushnood Akhtar Lashari
-- M.S. Habib
-- Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari
-- Tariq Aziz
THE PHILOSOPHY: Since denationalisation, the Board of Governors has taken strategic steps to build a strong financial foundation for Forman Christian College as a private, non-profit institution.
PRIVATE, NON-PROFIT INSTITUTION: The college operates without government subsidies and as a non-profit institution. It invests all tuition and fee proceeds for the direct benefit of students. No profit or payment of any kind benefits members of the Board of Governors.
ENDOWMENT: It is hoped that an endowment of at least Rs 580,000,000 may be built by the end of a decade. A programme of fundraising both in the USA and Pakistan is underway to support the operating budget, the endowment and the major capital needs of Forman Christian College.
CAMPUS AND FACILITIES: Forman Christian College has an impressive and well-maintained campus with all the facilities needed to create an environment that is truly academic and conducive for purposeful learning.
Located in a beautiful residential and commercial part of Lahore, the campus sprawls over a wide area measuring over a hundred acres along the left bank of the canal.
The infrastructure includes five academic buildings, five student hostels, a student recreation center, an auditorium, a fully stocked College Library and over forty residences for staff and faculty members.
The academic complex includes three large buildings for academic/teaching work, an auditorium and the main administration block.
Two academic blocks with spacious lecture rooms and excellent laboratories for the departments of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Statistics are currently in use for academic/teaching programmes.
To enhance student interest in co-curricular activities, the college campus provides excellent facilities for sport - Hockey, Tennis, Football, Basketball and Cricket as well as other facilities which include six lawn tennis courts, a modern swimming pool, a gymnasium and a 400-meter oval shaped running track.
DEPARTMENTS: Forman Christian College offers a wide variety of academic programmes in various disciplines through the following departments:
-- Botany
-- Chemistry
-- Economics
-- Education
-- English
-- Geography
-- History
-- Islamic Studies
-- Journalism
-- Mathematics
-- Physics
-- Psychology
-- Political Science
-- Physical Education
-- Pakistan Studies
-- Statistics
-- Urdu
-- Zoology