Today we pause to recognise and celebrate the invaluable contribution of the many dedicated members of staff whose work sustains the daily life and functioning of The Mico University College. We are observing Ancillary Staff Day with the greatest respect, because our ancillary staff form the quiet but indispensable backbone of our institution.

“Our ancillary staff form the quiet but indispensable backbone of our institution.”

Supporting Teaching, Learning, and Campus Life

Through their commitment, diligence, and care, our classrooms, lecture theatres, and conference rooms remain ready for learning. On special occasions such as the upcoming Mico Week celebrations, our spaces remain welcoming, and our operations as a world-class centre of learning and research continue smoothly.

“Through their commitment, diligence, and care, our classrooms, lecture theatres, and conference rooms remain ready for learning.”

The Work Behind the Scenes

We deeply appreciate the facilities management, security, maintenance, groundskeeping, sanitation, and other essential services that help to ensure that the academic and operational missions of the institution can flourish. Colleagues, your work is often carried out behind the scenes, but its impact is felt everywhere across the campus community. Through your dedication, you help to make the excellence, order, and spirit that define The Mico possible.

“Your work is often carried out behind the scenes, but its impact is felt everywhere across the campus community.”

A Message of Gratitude

Therefore, on behalf of the Board of Management, the administration, and the entire Miconian family, I extend sincere gratitude for the professionalism and pride that you bring to your work each day.

Celebrating Our Community

As an institution approaching two centuries of service to Jamaica and the region, we recognise that our continued strength depends on every member of our community, and today we celebrate you. We fully appreciate the vital role you play in sustaining the legacy and future of our noble institution, and we share our best wishes with you on this Ancillary Staff Day.

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International Women’s Day invites us to celebrate the achievements of women, and to reflect on the profound ways in which their leadership, resilience, and generosity continue to shape our societies. This year’s theme, “Give to Gain,” reminds us that when individuals invest their talents and compassion in the advancement of others, the benefits extend far beyond the present moment and across generations.

In Jamaica, women have long been central to the progress of our nation. As mothers, educators, community leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals. They have strengthened families, nurtured communities, and helped guide national development.

Today we see Jamaican women excelling across fields that were once largely closed to them – from law and business to science, governance, and public service – demonstrating every day that the advancement of women is inseparable from the advancement of the nation itself.

At The Mico, the principle of “Give to Gain” is deeply rooted in our history. Nearly two centuries ago, Sir Thomas Buxton used funds from the Lady Mico Trust to support the education and upliftment of those whose lives had been shaped by slavery. Our University College is the only surviving teacher-training institution of that legacy, and it continues to prepare many of the large number of women who sustain Jamaica’s classrooms. 

Today the overwhelming majority of teachers in our schools are women, especially at the early childhood and primary levels. Their dedication can help to shape the intellectual, moral, and civic foundations of our children. Through their patience, creativity, and leadership, they prepare each new generation for the responsibilities of citizenship and nation-building.

At The Mico University College, we witness this commitment daily in the women who serve as lecturers, administrators, students, and staff. Their work reflects the enduring spirit of this institution, and our guiding charge to “Do It With Thy Might.” By giving of their knowledge, leadership, and compassion, women educators continue to transform lives and strengthen communities.

So as we mark International Women’s Day and reflect on its message, let us honour the women whose contributions sustain our families, our institution, and the nation. We proudly celebrate their leadership and reaffirm our commitment to empowering the next generation of educators who will carry this remarkable legacy forward.

The post Give to Gain: Women, Education and the Mico Legacy appeared first on The Mico Online.

National Recovery and the Role of Education

A nation is most tested in moments of disruption, not in times of stability. Across Jamaica, the effects of Hurricane Melissa and recent economic pressures have likely forced difficult national choices. The Government’s 2026/27 budget reflects this – prioritising reconstruction, strengthening public systems, and introducing new revenue measures to finance recovery. For many citizens and businesses, these tax adjustments will represent struggle, real sacrifice or even hardship, and only long-term investments in education and the development of the labourforce can produce the revenue tomorrow that we are struggling to find today.

Education is the sector that creates the most positive impact on citizens’ lives. Teacher education in particular has a great multiplier effect, both pre-service and in-service teachers are valuable and necessary to improving Jamaica’s production capacity. Even in times of austerity, policy makers should continue to prioritize investments even in the professional development of current teachers. Spending more to educate and train the people will signal a genuine commitment to rebuilding stronger and more resilient national foundations, building the workforce and not just infrastructure.

While roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure can be restored easily through financial investment and effective management, the rebuilding of a nation ultimately depends on its people. Human capital is developed through education, and it remains the most enduring foundation of national progress.

Teacher Education at the Centre of National Development

Recovery must therefore go beyond replacing what was lost; it must strengthen the systems that sustain growth. Teacher education lies at the centre of that effort. For generations, educators have shaped the nation’s capacity to adapt, innovate, and thrive – often quietly, yet always with profound impact.

I am reminded of young teachers who travel miles each day to serve rural communities, including districts across Westmoreland and other western parishes still recovering from hurricane damage. With limited resources but unwavering dedication, they transform classrooms into spaces of hope and possibility for affected students. Their work affirms a simple truth: resilient societies are built by resilient educators.

The Mico’s Historic Role in Nation Building

For nearly two centuries, The Mico has stood at the forefront of preparing teachers of integrity and purpose. Its origins reflect a similar moment of national transformation. Following emancipation, funding to prepare educators to teach newly freed Jamaicans came through beneficent gifts from the Lady Mico Trust and abolitionist advocates, at a time when public financing for education was not yet a state priority. From its inception, the institution was grounded in a belief that education empowers people and advances nation-building.

Today, Jamaica again stands at a pivotal moment. Our economy was damaged by a natural disaster, and recovery spending exceeds J$60 billion for reconstruction, with additional costly resilience measures. This underscores the scale of the national challenge, and policy makers have promised a sustainable development plan for recovery. However sustainable development is more about people than physical infrastructure. Sustainability will depend on a skilled, adaptable, and forward-thinking population. If the nation is to withstand future economic, environmental, or social shocks, the preparation of educators must therefore be a national priority.

Impact of Mico Graduates and the Wider Education Sector

The transformative power of education is evident in the work of some of The Mico’s graduates, from Governor Generals Sir Howard Cook and Sir Clifford Campbell, to the many who lead schools in underserved communities, introduce innovative teaching practices, and mentor generations of students who themselves become agents of national development. These individual contributions collectively shape the country’s progress and empowers families and communities. This year The Mico recognized the Hon Steadman Fuller and Dr. Claudette Morris with honorary degrees for exactly this type of nation building. They join other educators who have shaped industries outside of education, like Dr. Glen Christian in the health sector and Dr. Sylvester Tulloch in the housing and construction sector.

So in response to evolving national needs, the mission of institutions like The Mico remains clear: to prepare graduates who transform education, advance research, and contribute meaningfully to development. In other examples, like at At Sam Sharpe teachers college, they have been expanding the undergraduate programme and last year the historic Moneague Teachers’ College was accredited by the University Council of Jamaica, after expanding their own programmes to meet the needs of the community, even offering hospitality and tourism management.

Strategic Focus and Institutional Development

The desire to drive first work academic excellence, operational standards, and student success, is a vision that guides the strategic focus of institutions like ours. The Mico continues to expand research capacity, strengthen technological innovation in teaching and learning, broaden global engagement, and support student success and community development. These are priorities that align with Jamaica’s wider development agenda.

Mico Week 2026 and National Resilience

It is in fact within this context that The Mico University College will observe Mico Week 2026 (from March 23 to 27), reflecting on how higher education supports national resilience. The week will open with a General Assembly that underscores leadership and institutional responsibility. A Research Spotlight will highlight the importance of evidence-based solutions and knowledge production in shaping national policy and competitiveness. Even the annual Sports Day celebrations will focus on holistic development this year, and will recognise that resilience, teamwork, and wellbeing are essential to both personal and national progress.

Mico Week will also recognise intellectual leadership through Student Awards and the Glen Owen Lecture, that both reaffirm the university college’s commitment to academic excellence and critical inquiry. The week will culminate with Founders’ Day, a Thanksgiving Service, and an Alumni Luncheon – all reminders that education is sustained through partnership, legacy, and shared responsibility.

Partnerships, Innovation, and Global Engagement

It is important to note that this spirit of collaboration extends beyond these observances. Later this May, the institution will host its Innovation With and For a Purpose Summit, engaging global partners such as University of Miami and Amazon Web Services, alongside public and private sector leaders advancing research and knowledge-driven growth.

Together, these initiatives illustrate the ecosystem required for national advancement – leadership, research, innovation, human development, and partnerships, all working in concert.

Fiscal Responsibility and the Role of Higher Education

The Government’s fiscal programme calls for efficiency, innovation, and long-term growth within constrained resources. The introduction of new taxes – despite earlier commitments to avoid them – must reflect the magnitude of the recovery challenge. Such measures demand accountability not only from citizens, but from national institutions entrusted with public confidence. Partnerships must be forged to help ensure that higher education institutions are expanding access through technology-enabled learning, strengthening research output, and equipping graduates with the skills required for a rapidly changing economy.

At The Mico University College, we had already embraced these responsibilities by expanding online delivery, enhancing quality assurance systems, and developing programmes responsive to national and global needs.

Teacher Education as Essential National Infrastructure

These are real investments in our student teachers, and strategic investment in teacher education will have the greatest multiplier effect, producing measurable returns. Well-prepared educators improve learning outcomes, strengthen workforce readiness, promote social mobility, and foster civic responsibility. These outcomes contribute directly to economic growth, social cohesion, and national resilience. Teacher education, therefore, is not merely a sectoral concern; it is essential national infrastructure. Teachers impact almost every individual.

A Call to Action for National Recovery

As Jamaica continues its recovery journey, the question is not whether we can afford to invest in education, but whether we can afford not to. A nation’s capacity to adapt and prosper depends fundamentally on the quality of its educators and the strength of its institutions.

For Miconians, Mico Week is both a celebration and call to action. It affirms our historic responsibility while pointing toward our future – an agile institution, responsive to national needs, technologically driven, and committed to research, innovation, and community development.

The rebuilding of Jamaica will take many forms. Yet lasting recovery will depend on the knowledge, values, and capabilities of our people. By strengthening teacher education we can impact every student in Jamaica, we will be investing in the nation’s most enduring resource – and securing the successful future that we have a duty to build together, with Thy might.

The post Rebuilding Jamaica Through Education: Why Teacher Preparation Must Lead National Recovery appeared first on The Mico Online.

In today’s higher-education landscape, effective branding, targeted recruitment, strategic partnerships, and disciplined communication are no longer peripheral activities. They are central to institutional success. The decision to strengthen the Marketing & Business Development Department reflects a clear understanding that these functions must operate not merely as support services, but as drivers of visibility, relevance, and growth across the institution.

The expansion builds on the solid foundation laid by the department’s continuing members, whose institutional knowledge has been critical in grounding this transition. Their contributions have supported access, development, recruitment, and investment initiatives that have advanced The Mico University College’s mission. Importantly, this team has welcomed the addition of new professionals whose expertise strengthens the department’s capacity to respond to emerging opportunities and challenges.

The Expanded Team

The newly expanded department brings together a diverse range of skills essential to advancing the University College’s strategic objectives. The team includes:

• Ms. Erica Bent, Marketing and Business Development Manager
• Ms. Shyan Mitchell, Recruitment Officer
• Ms. Malaika Sterling, Marketing Officer
• Mrs. Yvonne Young-Wallace, Projects Officer – Scholarships & Alumni Affairs
• Ms. Rachel Forrest, Projects Officer – Business Development and Marketing
• Mr. Deon Orrett Montague, Communication and Public Relations Officer
• Mr. Andrew Edwards, Media and Technology Specialist
• Mr. Edward Massias, Graphics Editor

Collectively, this team integrates strategy, recruitment, project development, communications, digital engagement, and creative production — capabilities that are increasingly essential to institutional advancement in the modern university context.

A Clear Institutional Mandate

The department has been charged with a clear and purposeful mandate: to elevate The Mico’s brand, secure new and diversified income streams, and focus the attention of the wider community on the institution’s strategic aims. This charge underscores both the seriousness of the task before the team and the expectations attached to this expanded structure.

Through this investment, The Mico University College is strengthening its institutional capacity and coherence. The expanded department is expected to work collaboratively across the College to enhance public presence, deepen stakeholder engagement, and contribute meaningfully to long-term sustainability and strategic growth.

As this work unfolds, members of the Mico community are encouraged to engage with the department, share ideas, and collaborate on initiatives that support both the institution’s historic mission and its future direction.

Join the Legacy | Mico 190
Celebrating 190 years of excellence, leadership, and service to Jamaica and beyond.

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We often hear about the long waiting lists for assessments for children with special needs, and while those waits are real and challenging, they are only part of the story.

Today, The Mico University College Child Assessment and Research in Education (CARE) Centre is shining a light on the other factors affecting services to children with special needs, the hurdles that remain even after an assessment is complete, preventing children with special education needs from receiving the support they desperately need to thrive in schools.

The access to education for children with special needs goes beyond waiting lists and assessments.

“Yes, they wait long for an assessment … but when they get it, there are still barriers to services which they require,” said Dr Sharon Anderson Morgan, executive director at The Mico CARE Centre.

Dr Anderson Morgan, while admitting to long wait times at The Mico Centre, as well as at the two other government-funded assessment centres, pointed to a critical area that often gets overlooked.

“I am making the point that assessment is just part of the problem. Getting an assessment is like going to the doctor; if you do not have access to the required treatment and intervention afterwards, then you are no better off,” she said. For many families, even after receiving an assessment, there is no change for the better as after waiting, then receiving an assessment report, families are challenged in following through on recommendations.

From an analysis of data collected at The Mico CARE Centre, only 67 per cent of caregivers followed through with referrals after an assessment of their child. Of those who attempted to follow through with referrals, a little under half (49 per cent) reported not being able to access any of the services to which they had been referred.

BIGGER PROBLEM

The data therefore point to a bigger problem that is really beyond waitlist and receiving an assessment. It is the beginning of navigating a complex system with frustrating roadblocks. The data revealed barriers to accessing the referred services from assessments as follows: location and availability of services, agencies being full, failure of entities to respond or reach out to the caregiver, wait time, as well as real and perceived costs.

To compound the matter, The Mico CARE Centre has also seen concerning trends where there are a number of students who are school-aged, but not attending school, who are registered for assessments.

The Mico CARE Centre’s data reveals that 10 per cent of the students for assessments in 2024 were out of school. This highlights a heart-breaking reality: children are out of school while waiting for a diagnosis, and even after they get one, the path to accessing the right support can be fraught with challenges. Being out of school for any period widens the educational gap for these children who are already experiencing challenges that affect learning.

It therefore begs the question, what can be done for greater educational access for children with special needs? The situation is not a hopeless one. Dr Anderson Morgan envisions a three-tiered approach to assessments and intervention in Jamaica that will significantly impact and help alleviate not just problems of long wait lists but other issues involving assessments and interventions.

The first tier will begin with broad screening by the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information. This can be done using the data from the National Assessment Programme, already administered by the ministry, to identify children who require additional support and provide this through evidence-based instruction.

Where needed, children will move on to a second tier of screening with targeted support via small group instructions or specific interventions and the final tier would be a full psychoeducational assessment if students continue to struggle after the second tier.

In this way, students will receive earlier intervention and only those who have genuine assessment needs will be waiting for an assessment. This approach speaks to and promotes a more inclusive education system which Dr Anderson Morgan believes is the way forward to really have the kind of impact that is necessary for children with special needs.

Having a more-inclusive education system will allow students to be educated, as far as is possible, within their community schools, while being provided with the support services required within that setting. Creating an inclusive education system will require policy changes and all stakeholders working collaboratively in fulfilment of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), which speaks to equitable, quality, inclusive education.

While this is a monumental goal for Jamaica, this can be realised through progressive realisation of smaller targets over a number of years.

For his part, Dr Asburn Pinnock, president of The Mico University College, believes that the institution is poised to play a critical role in addressing the capacity-building needs of the system to support inclusive education.

SPECIALISATION

At The Mico University College all teachers in training complete several mandatory special education courses, regardless of their area of specialisation. As the oldest teacher training intuition in the Western Hemisphere, The Mico was the first institution to train special education teachers in the region and has the capacity to provide professional development courses for in-service teachers to up-skill them so that they can be prepared to support learners with varied needs.

Training for paraprofessionals, such as learning support aids and teacher assistants, is also an area of critical need which the institution would be ready to provide, as well as training school administrators in inclusive school leadership.

“I also strongly appeal to the government and private sector donors to provide additional scholarships so that we can train adequate special education teachers for the system and also to invest in expanding the services of Mico CARE Centre in other parts of Jamaica, as it is obvious that we have outgrown the current space and human resource establishment amidst a growing demand.”

It is every child’s right to have access to an education so that they can reach their full potential.

Therefore, hurdles encountered by children with special education needs in accessing education should spur a heartfelt call to action for everyone: parents, schools, agencies, policymakers, leaders, the media, community, and all other stakeholders. We need to look at the whole picture of what it actually takes to meet the educational needs of all students, regardless of abilities.

It requires a truly collaborative effort from all Jamaicans to break down the barriers that deny a child access to education, before, during, and after an assessment. This conversation should lead to national action which could possibly start with a national stakeholder working group on special education to examine the issues and needs of the sector and develop a comprehensive plan of action.

By working together, Jamaica can dismantle the barriers and create a system where children with special needs have access to the education and support that they need to thrive, including intervention and therapeutic services like speech, occupational and behaviour therapy. As Jamaicans, we need to move beyond the waiting lists and assessment results and also address the “other factors” that are holding our children with special education needs back.

The post What Happens After Waiting Lists and Assessments for Special Needs appeared first on The Mico Online.

Those of us who were raised in humble settings where love was real and life was challenging, cherish the impact of a good father. I witnessed first-hand the sacrifices made by my parents, especially my father, and the premium they placed on providing opportunities for a good education. I can testify about the difference my rural village made in providing me with mentors, teachers, and other father figures who helped me to navigate life’s twists and turns. 

So, on this Father’s Day, I speak from a place of gratitude, with a responsibility to help ensure that many more young people enjoy this right. Therefore, while we celebrate our fathers today, we must also confront a painful truth that many of our children are growing up without father figures who provide a positive influence. 

There are thousands of men who deserve to be honoured for their faithful, loving and strong presence and dedication to fatherhood. As we salute these stalwarts, there are also too many who have failed to be responsible fathers, and who have caused emotional stress for their sons and daughters because of their absence. In fact a 2021 study estimated that 47% of Jamaican households are single-parent units, led by biological mothers. 

More than 80% of children in Jamaica are born out of wedlock, and a large percentage of them are raised in single mother households. It follows that for many of our sons and daughters, their first experience of abandonment is not from a stranger, but from the man whose presence was supposed to anchor them. Many children to this day, try to understand why abandonment was the chosen option. Their self-esteem gets shattered as they wonder why they were not worth staying for.

Why More Men Must Teach 

In many instances, teachers and schools are left to fill the emotional gaps created by the broken homes that some absent fathers help create. Schools have had to become not only places of learning, but also spaces for healing. Of great concern is the fact that an imbalance also exists in schools as only around 15% of Jamaica’s teachers are men. We therefore need more male teachers not just for balance, but also for restoration. 

A good male teacher becomes more than an educator. He becomes a consistent voice, a model of respect, a mirror that shows a young man what responsibility looks like, and a guide who helps young women set their standards. When boys and girls grow up seeing men who listen, who lead with love, who value education, and who carry themselves with integrity, decorum, pride and dignity, their experience as males will cause them to model these qualities, while females will seek these higher standards and qualities in the men they find attractive.

My Story. Our Challenge. 

Education saved me because I was that child from humble rural Jamaica who could have fallen through the cracks. However, because of the love and care of teachers, I found my footing, found my purpose, and found the path that led me to being the President of The Mico University College, an institution that has shaped the lives of countless Jamaicans for over 190 years. 

So, on this Father’s Day, I call on all men in our island home to stand up for a generation that is desperately calling for positive role models to emulate, and for wise guidance as they chart  pathways towards successful and honest living. Let us stand as men who are fathers, brothers, teachers, confidants, and mentors to send a message today. 

This Father’s Day, Let Us Be Honest 

We are celebrating some of our men and challenging the others to stand up and become excellent fathers. To the fathers who are present, protective, and proud – we honour you. To the men who stepped in when others walked away – thank you. To the young men searching for purpose – I invite you to consider teaching, mentoring, and guiding. The classroom needs you. Our boys and girls need you. And to the fathers who have failed – now is the time for reconciliation and restoration, as we strive to inspire all to be more. 

Let us commit to moving from excuses to action. Start by showing up, by staying consistent, listening, apologizing, and teaching. Jamaica must rise above broken homes and absent men to truly improve our society and create a new legacy. 

The Mico is committed to help build that new legacy. The  University College is even launching a ‘Join the Legacy campaign’. The initiative aims to not just attract students, but to also call the best of our young men into service. Together, we can build a Jamaica where more men inspire, teach, and mentor. 

Happy Father’s Day – to the men we honour and the men we still need. 

Dr. Asburn Pinnock
President The Mico University College

The post A Message to Our Fathers from Dr. Asburn Pinnock appeared first on The Mico Online.

We observe Labour Day annually on May 23 to inspire community service and collective action, and to honor the 1938 labor rebellion, a turning point in Jamaica’s working-class struggle. This Labour Day 2025 is themed “Protect the Environment: Our Land, Our Duty, Our Future”, and culminates Workers’ Week (May 18–23), which is themed “Transforming Jamaica’s Workforce for Greater Resilience and Sustainable Development”. 

These themes call us to prepare and protect our workforce (the people), to safeguard our environment and to build a resilient future for both. The Mico University College leads this charge by fostering educators who understand these themes, and who embody leadership, integrity, and innovation. They are ready to transform lives and society through education. 

On May 23, we will take steps to preserve our heritage by starting to specially protect and highlight our campus’ Lignum Vitae (*Guaiacum officinale*) trees. They are Jamaica’s endangered national flower, symbolizing our nation’s resilient history and vibrant growth. 

This effort to protect and preserve heritage is much like The Mico Foundation’s *Project Buxton Restore: Save the Buxton Building* campaign, launched this week.

Minister Grange called The Buxton,

“An Icon of Hope”

A special guest at the launch, The Honourable Olivia “Babsy” Grange called the 135-year-old Buxton Building that is named for abolitionist Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, “an icon of hope”. The restoration will help ensure that our collective legacy endures. It is why we are also pleased that it is supported by Prime Minister The Most Honourable Dr. Andrew Holness and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust.  

The Prime Minister visited our campus this Teachers’ Day, May 8, celebrating our 190-year legacy as the Western Hemisphere’s oldest teacher training institution. He offered to support our appeal for full university status through an Act of Parliament, to fund the training of a speech therapist for Mico CARE, to provide a student bus, and to support the Buxton Building’s restoration.

That visit, and visits from Chinese Ambassador Chen Daojiang, Indian High Commissioner Shri Mayank Joshi, and Acting British High Commissioner Jonathan Cook, strengthens our vision and affirms our global impact. These officials all praised our legacy of educating thousands of Jamaicans, now training tomorrow’s workforce.  

The Mico has a holistic approach to training that was skillfully showcased near Mico Week, when our track team secured two gold medals and a silver at the 2025 Penn Relays, with Rasheed Foster’s 10.46-second 100m time standing out. Our National Mathematics Workshop from May 27 to 29 will promote new strategies to elevate mathematics education, and our drive to train over 250 new STEM scholars annually will foster the training of a resilient workforce ready for the dynamic global landscape of the future. 

The Prime Minister recognized our efforts to prepare the workforce for a sustainable technology driven Jamaica when he hailed plans for our STEM and Business Incubation Centre, that also aligns with Labour Day’s important themes. The centre will demonstrate The Mico’s shared vision with the Government of Jamaica, and empower educators to prepare youth for sustainable development and for a STEM future.

I will end by echoing a call from Minister Grange that was extracted from “Jamaica, Land of Beauty”, “from riverside to mountain, from cane field to the sea, our hearts salute Jamaica, triumphant, proud, and free”.  I call on Miconians to join Labour Day projects everywhere, and to demonstrate leadership, integrity, and innovation anywhere we work.

Remember to volunteer in clean-ups, plant trees, beautify your homes and communities, and support the Buxton Building restoration. Finally, let us honor the 1938 rebellion by protecting our environment and transforming our workforce, to forge a sustainable Jamaica with enduring hope.  

Yours in service,  

Dr. Asburn Pinnock  

President, The Mico University College

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Dr. McKinley’s dissertation provides a sophisticated analysis of socio-economic barriers to
tertiary education, resonating deeply with The Mico University College’s mission to promote
equitable access to education. Her work is titled, ‘An Exploration of the Challenges of Jamaican
Students from the Lower Socio-Economic Status in Accessing Higher Education: A Qualitative
Social Constructivist Case Study’.

Dr. McKinley’s success exemplifies the pinnacle of academic excellence and serves as an
inspiring beacon for our students, faculty, and staff. Her research holds the promise of informing
transformative practices in higher education and enriching our institutional legacy. Let us
collectively celebrate her perseverance and leadership, and look forward to the enduring impact
of her scholarship.

Please extend your heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Allison McKinley on this most distinguished
milestone.

Dr. Asburn Pinnock
President, The Mico University College

The post Mico Hails Dr. Allison McKinley’s Great Doctorate Achievement appeared first on The Mico Online.

Highlighting The Mico’s legacy

Since 1836, The Mico has been the cornerstone of Jamaica’s education, currently training approximately 500 teachers annually, through 12 bachelor’s and five master’s programmes, including 250 STEM scholarship spaces. Our holistic approach shapes not only teachers but also leaders. It was most recently evidenced in our 2025 Penn Relays triumph, where athletes Rasheed Foster and Rimando Thomas won two gold medals and one silver, embodying the legacy of excellence and integrity the Miconians live for.  

Having invested in our students’ comprehensive development, The Mico now boasts having globally competitive teams on the intercollegiate circles. This weekend Foster will even represent Jamaica at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China, a rewarding return for the University College’s 4 x 100 relay champion. Last year our female and male volleyball teams finished 2nd and 3rd respectively in national competitions, and our cricketers are attracting the attention of professional cricket clubs. Just this week, two of The Mico’s students were invited to join the Jamaica Titans to play for a spot in the West Indies Break-out Cricket League.   

The Prime Minister’s visit honored all angles of The Mico’s this legacy, from signing the Official Register to touring the INAFCA Museum (which holds the largest collection of Indian and African artifacts across the Caribbean) and engaging our community at the Enos Nuttall Lecture Theatre. This presence on Teachers’ Day paid genuine tribute to our educators, whose tireless efforts helped ensure the day’s success, and motivated our students to work towards becoming the best educators they can be.

Acknowledging commitments

The Prime Minister’s support for our Strategic Plan (2023–2028) became a defining moment and a symbol of the visit’s relevance. Dr. Holness’ commitment to supporting The Mico’s full university status through an Act of Parliament, will amplify our global influence and expand innovative programmes. Equally, his pledge to support the STEM and Business Incubation Centre, alongside other partners, aligns with Jamaica’s ambition to become a STEM city, fostering research and innovation. 

Dr. Holness’ also recognized Mico CARE’s vital work, and the fact that we are eager to serve 1,345 children awaiting diagnostic and therapeutic services. The Prime Minister offered to fund the training of a bonded speech therapist to help address a critical gap, since only 12 speech specialists are in Jamaica, and none in the public sector. 

Even the restoration of our historic Buxton Building, a heritage landmark, also earned his support, with promises to engage the Minister of Culture and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust for its rehabilitation. Beyond these, Dr. Holness’ swift response to our students’ commuting challenges is worth commending. He promised the installation of street lights on Marescaux Road, and a school bus to help reduce commuting risks for students. The Prime Minister demonstrated a deep care for our community’s safety and well-being, and earned heartfelt gratitude from Miconians.

Looking forward with a unified vision

The Mico is acting swiftly to take advantage of the Prime Minister’s commitments. The University College is drafting proposals for a Bill to secure university status, it will be guided by Dr. Holness, to help ensure parliamentary success. Our partnerships with the government and private sector will drive the STEM Centre and Mico CARE’s expansion, aligning with Vision 2030’s goal of a world-class education system. And these initiatives are grounded in innovation and equity. They will empower educators to prepare Jamaica’s youth from all walks of life for a dynamic future.

After the Prime Minister’s visit I echoed a previous call to action. Our students, faculty, and alumni have been leading with integrity across Jamaica, they help shape the society through education, for nearly 200 years their dedication helps to secure The Mico’s position as a national treasure!. All Jamaicans should join us in building a system where every child thrives. 

Elevating the Mico’s status will set the institution apart as the only legislated university primarily focused on teacher education. The move will enhance The Mico’s research capabilities and capacity, enabling an expansion of the student body and course options while we help to develop the policy, best practices and systems required to forge a new chapter—one where education transforms lives and elevates our beloved nation.

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