Education at Nicotas takes place within an ethos that is nurturing for students, rewarding for staff and welcoming to visitors, where value-education is actively promoted, and respect is intrinsic. The main sources from which the ethos emerges are the guiding philosophy and the principles of Servant leadership education, the relatively small size of the institution and its location in Kenya, as well as the people who study and work at the College. Nicotas is inspired and invigorated by these sources.
The ethos therefore, has a variety of interrelated characteristics as set out below, with a Servant educational identity at the core. It is this identity which provides for coherence and interconnectedness, which in turn contributes to excellence. We want all who work or study in the College, and those who visit us, to experience a higher education institution which: –

• believes in the power of education to transform lives, overcome disadvantage and contribute positively to humanity,
• is focused on the holistic development of its students,
• was founded and continues to develop in the worldwide Catholic tradition of faith-based education, • is a values-driven institution,
• promotes the development of student competences and skills for employability,
• is a warm and friendly place where people display a positive disposition to others,
• promotes equality of opportunity,
• facilitates staff development,
• respects the work of all members of staff,
• has a specialist focus on teacher education and the formation of its students for a vocation of service in the profession,
• is highly respectful of the work undertaken by our partners in the education service,
• is committed to ongoing improvement and is striving for excellence,
• enjoys good relationships with its partner schools and placement learning providers,
• has a rich heritage and tradition which inspires confidence in the future,
• promotes an international dimension,
• encourages harmonious and cooperative working relationships,
• inspires loyalty and support from its alumni,
• has a strong sense of vitality and dynamism and
• is relevant to the needs of contemporary society.

Since March 2020 and the beginning of the pandemic, the Nicotas Mombasa campus has been ‘silent’ to a large extent. The life which is brought to it by members of staff, students and visitors has been diminished by the coronavirus pandemic. The College has to rebuild its vitality. It will seek to do so ‘together’ and to achieve a return to vitality. There has been consultation with staff and students on how Nicotas both prepares for a safe return to campus and best utilizes new learning and working practices which make the best use of digital technologies.