TCI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
A Short History

The establishment of a Community College in the Turks and Caicos Islands had been visualized and vocalized as far back as 1989. The rationale was based on the desire to advance education in general and tertiary education in particular, where the establishment of a local College would ensure that more persons had access to tertiary education.

In 1992 the Minister of Education, the Hon. Arabella Smith, set up a task force to conceptualize the idea of a Community College. Discussions were organized with the general public to obtain feedback on the establishment of a College. In 1993 Mr. Kurt Johansen, the regional education advisor to the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, was contracted to do a study on the feasibility of establishing a College and the possible location for such an institution. In early 1994 the Government sought assistance from the Caribbean Development Bank to fund a study for the development of the Community College in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Dr. Alfred Sangster, who at the time was the President of the University of Technology in Jamaica, did an in-depth study on the establishment of the College, and on the basis of his analysis concluded that there was an urgent need for a college. The administrative center of the Community College should be located in Grand Turk with a secondary Campus in Providenciales, and the College in Grand Turk should be started on rented premises to be followed by relocation to a permanent site at the Education Department.

On September 2, 1994, the Ordinance establishing the Community College as a statutory body came into effect and on September 18, 1994, the College was opened in Grand Turk using temporary facilities at the H.J. Robinson High School, with a branch in Providenciales using the facilities at the Clement Howell High School. A Board of Governors was established and held its inaugural meeting on October 21, 1994 with Mr. Carlos Simons, Attorney at Law, as the first Chairman of the Board. The College's office was staffed by Dr. Jacob Bynoe, a Guyanese national, as the first Principal and Ms. Deborah Dickenson as the Secretary/Administrative Officer.

There was a change in government in January 1995 and the Hon. Clarence Selver, the newly appointed Minister of Education, proceeded with the development of the TCICC. An official opening was held on March 4, 1995 at which time the College was housed on rented premises.

In late 1995 and 1996, Hon. Selver led consultations and discussions regarding the location of the College as it was evident that the space at the Department of Education compound was very inadequate, and serious attention was being drawn to the use of the former naval facility in Grand Turk. In June 1996 the first indigenous Principal, Mrs. Julia Williams, was appointed.

In October 1997 the Further Education Project was launched with the objective of strengthening and expanding the capability of the TCICC to provide improved and increased opportunities for post secondary adult and continuing education through the modification, rehabilitation and upgrading of the former naval base in Grand Turk to include equipment, furniture and instructional materials, as well as technical assistance for institutional strengthening and project management. The Project was implemented with APEC consultants of Jamaica as the consultants, and KEE Chanona of Trinidad as the contractors.

The first phase of a Master Plan which provides for a rational physical plan for the timely and orderly development of the facilities at Lighthouse Road, North Point, to accord with the aims, objectives, academic vision and future plans of the College, was completed on June 12, 2001 and formally dedicated on May 31, 2002 after the furniture and equipment were installed.