Universidad Veracruzana Intercultural (UVI) / Intercultural University of Veracruz (UVI)

Excerpt

This project is an initiative of the University of Veracruz in response to the stark under-representation of the indigenous population in Mexico's higher education. To address this under-representation the University of Veracruz, together with the State of Veracruz and the Central Government, set up the Intercultural University of Veracruz (UVI). Today it is one of eleven intercultural universities in Mexico. However, while other intercultural universities have been established on the initiative of the Central Government in collaboration with local education institutions and indigenous organisations, UVI has emerged out of an autonomous, public university.

The origins of UVI go back to initiatives by the Institute of Research in Education of the University of Veracruz in 1996 in response to demands by indigenous organisations and movements for broader and better adapted higher education programmes. These were later also supported by policies from the Central Government. In November 2004 an agreement with the Ministry and the University of Veracruz established an intercultural programme, which was jointly funded by the Central government, the State of Veracruz and the University of Veracruz. Thus, the initiative is supported at local, state and national level. Academic decision-making is made centrally by the University of Veracruz in Xalapa, but programmes are implemented non-centralized in the four regional centers.

The Intercultural University of Veracruz (UVI) consists of four regional centres established in the most marginalised regions of the State of Veracruz. These centres offer a Bachelors programme in Intercultural Management for Development. The curriculum is mixed and interdisciplinary and based on multi-modal teaching and learning. The courses start out with a shared study programme, after which students choose courses according to their area of interest / specialisation. The curriculum is based on courses in basic instruction, disciplinary, terminal and free choice courses. The areas of specialisation include communications, rights, languages, health and sustainability. While the UVI is not restricted to the admission of indigenous population, the programme is designed to respond to the needs and interests both of the students and the community in which it is being offered. This intercultural focus is achieved through a close relationship with local authorities, civil, agrarian and/or religious authorities, representatives from NGOs and civil society on teaching and research projects, engaging teaching staff from the region, multi-lingual teaching, including in the indigenous languages in which the centre is based, as well as teaching and research projects taking into account the needs of the community. About 60% of the student body are native speakers of an indigenous language and about 60% are females. Thus, it appears that the UVI has been successful in attracting indigenous students to its programmes and fostered in particular females to access higher education.

Narrative, origins and objectives of the initiative

What kind of project is this? Please give a short description (summary) of it.

The project is an initiative of the University of Veracruz in response to the stark under-representation of the indigenous population in Mexico's higher education. To address this under-representation the University of Veracruz, together with the State of Veracruz and the Central Government, set up the Intercultural University of Veracruz (UVI). Today it is one of eleven intercultural universities in Mexico. However, while other intercultural universities have been established on the initiative of the Central Government in collaboration with local education institutions and indigenous organisations, UVI has emerged out of an autonomous, public university.

The origins of UVI go back to initiatives by the Institute of Research in Education of the University of Veracruz in 1996 in response to demands by indigenous organisations and movements for broader and better adapted higher education programmes. These were later supported by policies from the Central Government. In November 2004 an agreement with the Ministry and the University of Veracruz established an intercultural programme jointly funded by the Central Government, the State of Veracruz and the University of Veracruz. Thus, the initiative is supported at local, state and national level. Academic decision making is made centrally by the University of Veracruz in Xalapa, but programmes are implemented non-centralized in the four regional centers.

The Intercultural University of Veracruz (UVI) consists of four regional centres established in the most marginalised regions of the State of Veracruz. These centres offer a Bachelor programme in Intercultural Management for Development. The curriculum is mixed and interdisciplinary and based on multi-modal teaching and learning. The courses start out with a shared study programme and then students choose courses according to their area of interest / specialisation. The curriculum is based on courses in basic instruction, disciplinary, terminal and free choice courses. The areas of specialisation include communications, rights, languages, health and sustainability. While the UVI is not restricted to the admission of indigenous population, the programme is designed to respond to the needs and interests of the students and the community in which it is being offered. This intercultural focus is achieved through a close relationship with local authorities, civil, agrarian and/or religious authorities, representatives from NGOs and civil society on teaching and research projects, engaging teaching staff from the region, multilingual teaching including in the indigenous languages in which the centre is based as well as teaching and research projects taking into account the needs of the community. About 60% of the student body are native speakers of an indigenous language and about 60% are females. Thus, it appears that the UVI has been successful in attracting indigenous students to its programmes and fostered in particular females to access higher education.

Please tell us why, in general, this project is considered a successful one?

While the majority of intercultural universities are recently created with little administrative autonomy from their respective state governments as well as from the General Coordination for Intercultural and Bilingual Education at the Ministry of Education, UVI emerged as a pioneering initiative for institutionalizing the cultural diversity from within a pre-existing autonomous state-university, which is recognized by its innovation activities. Therefore, it implies the conjuncture of a curriculum diversification initiative, on the one hand, with an effort of university decentralization, on the other hand – through four centres located in the main indigenous regions of Veracruz has contributed to redefine and restructure teaching, research and community outreach activities in a new format of the BA for Intercultural Management for Development. This academic programme serves as a "common core", which is conveyed with orientations on Sustainability, Communication, Languages, Rights and Health.

With reference to the Intercultural Maya University of Quintana Roo, Burford et al. (2012) it is argued that the presence of individuals with multiple constituencies creates a boundary-spanner role, whereby these individuals are translating the culture and practices experienced in one area, in another and, in this way, forging links between the two. This helps to link the intercultural university and the community, resolve conflict and smooth the transition between the two. The success of the intercultural university is, therefore, not only based on the community outreach element of the curriculum itself, but also its involvement in institutional structures and processes.

Given that staff of the regional centres of the UVI are also chosen based on the fact that they are rooted in the region, this seems to be transferable also for the UVI, namely that staff serve as role models for their students coming from the same region.

And why would you consider it a grass-roots initiative?

The initiative emerged from the bottom up and was later supported by policies from the Central Government.

The origins of UVI go back to 1996 when initiatives by the Institute of Research in Education of the University of Veracruz were given in response to demands by indigenous organisations and movements for broader and better adapted higher education programmes. It was later backed by the central government in November 2004 by an agreement between the Ministry and the University of Veracruz to establish an intercultural programme. The initiative is funded jointly by the central government, the state of Veracruz and the University of Veracruz.

Besides that, the General Coordination for Intercultural and Bilingual Education at the Ministry of Education established Intercultural Universities with the active participation of indigenous organizations and academic institutions in each region in response to the low participation rate of the indigenous population in higher education.

What challenges needed to be solved in this project?

Dietz and Cortes (2011) report two challenges in the project:

The first is related to the language of instruction. Dietz and Cortes (2011) report that teaching takes place mainly in Spanish, but some classes are also conducted in the indigenous languages of the region, despite the fact that they indicate that 60% of the students are native speakers of an indigenous language and 40% only speak Spanish. They point out that this is mainly due to the availability of qualified teaching staff that are native speakers of the indigenous languages.

The second is an evolution of the programmes offered in the regional centres. Dietz and Cortes (2011) report that, in 2005, two Bachelor programmes were initially developed and offered at the four regional centres, namely in Sustainable Regional Development and Intercultural Management and Education. The demand for more diversity and the intention not to develop ‘conventional’ degree programmes in indigenous regions, led to the development of one Bachelor programme in Intercultural Management for Development with greater flexibility (multi-modal and diverse orientation) from August 2007 onward. Based on the website of UVI this programme has been revised once again in 2017 to adapt it to the needs of the students and communities.

Is this initiative based on any particular theoretical framework? Which one?

Recognizing the diversity of student bodies, intercultural universities do not have a fixed approach to their educational activities. While assuring basic principles, each university defines its curriculum according to the needs and potentials of the region in which it is located. Students are engaged in activities that relate them to the surrounding communities through research and development projects, with the aim of working and contributing to the development of their territory, their people and their culture. Hence, the intercultural universities in general appear to be based on grounded theory and a developmental approach.

(Appendix) Is your intervention standing on its own or is it a part of a bigger and more holistic approach?

The Intercultural University of Veracruz (UVI) is one of eleven intercultural universities established in Mexico. In 2015, about 10,750 students were enrolled in these eleven intercultural universities. Of these, indigenous women made up almost 1.5 times the student population of male students, showing that these campuses are able to provide access to students that typically do not enroll elsewhere (Cortina, 2016). So, despite the challenges indigenous students face, the intercultural universities represent an important contribution to achieving educational equity in Mexico.

Please describe the group(s) intended as beneficiaries of this initiative

Why has this group (have these groups) been chosen?

While an estimated 10% of the population of Mexico is indigenous, it is the least represented in higher education. According to estimates, only between 1% and 3% of higher education enrollment in Mexico is indigenous (UNESCO 2015: 47). Hence, the indigenous population has been chosen as the target group of the project and of intercultural universities, due to the lack of enrollment of the indigenous population in Mexico with the aim of increasing their participation so that the population in higher education is more reflective of the diversity in the total population.

Veracruz, more specifically, is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse states in Mexico. Nowadays it is the most economically disadvantaged and infrastructural-isolated region in Mexico.

Could you please tell us something about the relative size of the (of each) target group, within the school/university population, region and/or country?

In 2015, about 10,750 students enrolled in the eleven intercultural universities in Mexico. Of these students, indigenous women were almost 1.5 times more than male students (Cortina, 2016).

Dietz and Cortes (2011) provide information on student enrollments of the first 3 generations of students at the UVI (2005-2009; 2006-2010; 2007-2011). These three cohorts had a total enrollment of 562 students, of which 336 were women (~60%) and 226 men (~40%). This is in line with the ration of female to males reported by Cortina (2016) for overall enrollments in intercultural universities in 2015. Dietz and Cortes (2011) also provide some information on the background of the students enrolled at the UVI in the first three cohorts, namely that 335 were native speakers of an indigenous language (~60%) and 227 only speak Spanish (~40%) and, hence, may not have been of indigenous origin. This suggests that the UVI has managed to attract a substantial share of indigenous students.

Which social characteristics are taken into account and what is the geographical area covered?

The UVI has four regional centres throughout the entire State of Veracruz (see Fig. 1), namely in:

- Huasteca intercultural region based in Ixhuatlán de Madero

- Totonacapan intercultural region based in Espinal

- Grandes Montañas intercultural region based in Tequila

- Selvas intercultural region based in Huazuntlán

The location of these centres have been chosen, since they are the most marginalised in terms of the share of the indigenous population residing there, ethno-linguistic criteria, socio-economic criteria as well as social and human development factors.

On which level is the project implemented?

The origins of UVI go back to initiatives by the Institute of Research in Education of the University of Veracruz in 1996 in response to demands by indigenous organisations and movements for broader and better adapted higher education programmes. These were later also supported by policies from the Central government. In November 2004 an agreement with the Ministry and the University of Veracruz established an intercultural programme jointly funded by the Central government, the State of Veracruz and the University of Veracruz. Thus, the initiative is supported at local, state and national level. Academic decision making is made centrally by the University of Veracruz in Xalapa, but programmes are implemented non-centralized in the four regional centers.

Please describe the political and socio-economic factors that you believe have been important enablers for your initiative

Did the initiative have political support?

The initiative had political support. Indeed, the General Coordination for Intercultural and Bilingual Education at the Ministry of Education, together with the active participation of indigenous organizations and academic institutions in regions with a high share of indigenous population, initiated a number of intercultural universities as new institutions. The UVI is the only intercultural university that was established by an existing, autonomous public university, rather than being a newly established university.

Burford et al. (2012), with reference to Casillas-Muñoz and Villar (2006) and Schmelkes (2009), argue that the revision of the second article in Mexico’s national constitution in 2001 to recognize indigenous heritage as a fundamental part of the national identity, was instrumental in changing the perception and relationship of the State with indigenous communities. Recognizing that the indigenous population is an active partner and contributor was pivotal in giving more attention to their under-representation in higher education and paving the way of developing intercultural universities as a means for their empowerment by providing a forum for an intercultural approach to education. This model brings together indigenous and Western scientific knowledge as a means for equitable and sustainable development.

How did it fit with local, regional or national policies?

Dietz and Cortes (2011) position the emergence of the UVI in initiatives by the Institute of Research in Education of the University of Veracruz in response to demands by indigenous organisations and movements for broader and better adapted higher education programmes. The UVI itself reports that, in 1996, the Seminario de Educación Multicultural en Veracruz (SEMV) was created and through it the Intercultural Education Research developed actions that have influenced human resource development, research and postgraduate programs, one of which was the Doctorate in Multicultural Societies and Intercultural Studies in collaboration with the University of Granada, Spain.

Thus, based on the international and national policies promoting the recognition of cultural diversity in society and the strengths of the University of Veracruz, UVI was created in response to the demand for access to higher education in intercultural regions, to identify and strengthen the potential of those regions and to foster growth and development of Veracruz.

Who are the stakeholders supporting the initiative?

Dietz and Cortes (2011) report that many staff members are chosen based both on their subject specific qualifications, but also on how rooted they are in the region. As such, they are often young graduates / early stage researchers. But they can provide their students with local and regional knowledge. Moreover, they report that there is close contact with local authorities, civil, agrarian and/or religious authorities, representatives from NGOs and civil society on teaching and research projects.

Are there particular demographic changes present that are influencing the project?

McCowan and Franco (n.d.), with reference to the Comisión Nacional para el desarrollo de los Pueblos Indigenas (2016), report that the share of the indigenous population in the total population of Mexico was 20% in 2015. This is a substantial increase compared to the estimated share of 10% of the Mexican population reported by UNESCO (2015: 47).

What is the institutional strategy and culture of the (educational) organization?

The UVI is based on four regional centres in key marginalised, intercultural regions in the State of Veracruz. Each centre has the following staff:

- Regional coordinator

- Academic support facilitator

- Five full-time lecturers

- Several part-time lecturers

- Some non-academic lecturers involved based on their professional expertise

Many staff members are chosen based on their subject specific qualifications as well as how rooted they are in the region. As such, they are often young graduates / early stage researchers. But they can provide their students with local and regional knowledge and may serve as role models. The number of staff at the UVI is approximately 60, including full-time and part-time staff (Dietz and Cortes 2011).

Dietz and Cortes (2011) report of a close relationship with local authorities, civil, agrarian and/or religious authorities, representatives from NGOs and civil society on teaching and research projects. They also report that teaching and learning includes an element of community outreach mainly by students as part of their studies and that this element has been strengthened in recent years.

While teaching takes place in the regional centres, the academic decision making is centrally organised in Xalapa by the University of Veracruz, of which UVI is a sub-structure.

The overall theoretical framework and approach at UVI is (Dietz and Cortes 2011):

- Recognition of cultural diversity

- Development of culturally pertinent educational programmes

- Interculturality as a new form of initiating relations between diverse cultural, linguistic and ethnic groups

- Democratic coexistence in Veracruz society

- Generate knowledge in the localities of the intercultural regions through the training of professionals and intellectuals committed to the economic and cultural development of community, regional and national territories, whose activities contribute to promoting a process of revaluing and revitalising the native cultures and languages

To what extent does the initiative have an influence on institutional policy (or potential influence) of the (educational) organization?

In line with the theoretical framework outlined above, the initiative has an influence on institutional policy in the following way:

Admissions

The admission to UVI, due to the disadvantaged education background of its students, often takes place through a qualitative selection process with a motivation letter and recommendation letter by community representatives.

Multilingual teaching

Dietz and Cortes (2011) report that teaching takes place mainly in Spanish, but some classes are also conducted in the indigenous languages of the region. This is mainly due to the availability of qualified teaching staff that are native speakers of the indigenous languages.

Multi-modal teaching

Dietz and Cortes (2011) report that teaching is multi-modal (face-to-face and blended / e-learning). More focus is being given to face-to-face teaching in the beginning of the programme.

Mixed and interdisciplinary curriculum responsive to the needs of the respective region

Dietz and Cortes (2011) report that, in 2005, two Bachelor programmes were initially developed and offered at the four regional centres, namely in Sustainable Regional Development and Intercultural Management and Education. The demand for more diversity and the intention not to develop ‘conventional’ degree programmes in indigenous regions, led later to development of one Bachelor programme in Intercultural Management for Development with greater flexibility (multi-modal and diverse orientation) from August 2007 onward.

The curriculum is mixed and interdisciplinary. The courses start out with a shared study programme and then students choose courses according to their area of interest / specialisation. The curriculum is based on courses in basic instruction, disciplinary, terminal and free choice courses. The areas of specialisation include communications; rights; languages; health and sustainability (Dietz and Cortes 2011).

Community outreach programmes

Teaching and learning at the UVI includes an element of community outreach mainly by students as part of their studies and that this element has been strengthened in recent years.

Engaging the indigenous population in institutional structures and processes

Many staff members are chosen based both on their subject specific qualifications, but also on how rooted they are in the region.

Engaging the indigenous population in teaching and research

(Appendix) Is there public support for your initiative and the issue it addresses?

Yes, the initiative is funded by the central government, the State of Veracruz and University of Veracruz.

(Appendix) What other factors do you think have been important for the success of this initiative?

With reference to the Intercultural Maya University of Quintana Roo, Burford et al. (2012) argue that the presence of individuals with multiple constituencies creates a boundary-spanner role, whereby these individuals are translating the culture and practices experienced in one area, in another and, in this way, forging links between the two. This helps to link the intercultural university and the community, resolve conflict and smooth the transition between the two. The success of the intercultural university is, therefore, not only based on the community outreach element of the curriculum itself, but also its involvement in institutional structures and processes.

Given that staff of the regional centres of the UVI are also chosen based on how rooted they are in the region, this seems to be transferable also for the UVI, namely that staff also serve as role models for their students coming from the same region.

Please describe the overall initiative design and the methods and tools used to reach the goals

Please describe the specific activities carried out.

Due to the nature of the project, the activities carried out are synonymous with the institutional strategies and policies of the intercultural universities, which is to foster intercultural education through:

- A curriculum that is flexible and responsive to the needs of indigenous students and the communities the institution is located in

- Community outreach programmes

- The involvement of the indigenous population in institutional structures and processes

- The involvement of the indigenous population in teaching and research

What were the key roles (teacher, student, management team etc.) within the project?

The management team contributes to the intercultural approach to education by developing an institutional strategy and policy as well as a curriculum design with a strong engagement of the indigenous population and the needs of the community.

Students contribute to the process of intercultural education through community outreach programmes and research projects that respond to the needs of the community the institution is based in.

Teachers include both indigenous and non-indigenous population. As such, teachers transmit the principle of intercultural education both in person and also through the curriculum itself.

What ideas, tools, theories, models, methodology (etc.) have been used to reach the goals?

Theories of intercultural education have clearly informed the design and institutional approaches of intercultural universities.

What are the final revenues of the project?

The project is ongoing. Hence there are no final revenues.

Please describe if your project ensured its sustainability

If so, how did you ensure the short-term impact of the project?

The comprehensive analysis of the location of the four regional centres of the UVI based on ethnolinguistic criteria; socio-economic criteria, social and human development factors ensures that the project reaches out to the indigenous population most marginalised and offers access to higher education that is in close geographical proximity. The fact that 60% of students are native speakers of indigenous languages (Dietz and Cortes 2011) proves that this decentralised approach of the UVI has been successful in opening access to the indigenous population.

And how did you ensure the long-term impact of the project?

The comprehensive approach to institutional design and policy ensures that the success of the initiative is not dependent on a limited number of factors, but that there is ownership from the institution, students and the indigenous population in the community in which the intercultural university is based. The focus on learning together, rather than learning about (Burford et al. 2012) also nurtures the principle of joint ownership of the initiative.

Besides that, the Institute of Research in Education of the University of Veracruz has initiated a project entitled ‘Intersaberes’ that focusses on reflecting on the UVI, its teaching and learning process and impact to inform future development. The project can be accessed through the following site:

http://www.intersaberes.org/

It also has a youtube presence with a project presentation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WJb784KV_8

Moreover, the initiative ‘Gestión Intercultural’ seeks to provide visibility for the outcome of Intercultural Management programme of the UVI by graduates sharing their experience and reporting on their professional pathways after graduation. It is accessible through the following website: https://gestionintercultural.wordpress.com/

Has your project been replicated elsewhere?

Since 2005 the General Coordination for Intercultural and Bilingual Education at the Ministry of Education established Intercultural Universities with the active participation of indigenous organizations and academic institutions in each region in response to the low participation rate of the indigenous population in higher education.

These institutions are located in densely indigenous areas and, though they allow for diversity in enrollment, they are especially intended for the indigenous population. Founded on the principle of intercultural education, they aim to foster dialogue between different cultures and represent a way of responding to both the historical and more recent demands of indigenous peoples.

The approach to teaching and learning mirrors closely the concepts that can also be found at the UVI (Lopez 2015; no author 2013; Burford et al. 2012; Dietz and Cortes 2011; Pedota 2011; McCowan and Franco no date)

Indeed, the General Coordination for Intercultural and Bilingual Education at the Ministry of Education developed an Educational Model that outlines its concept of intercultural education and appears to have inspired much of the institutional and educational approaches pursued by the various intercultural universities (no author 2013). While it doesn’t appear to be available on the website of the General Coordination for Intercultural and Bilingual Education at the Ministry of Education (ibid), a transposition of this Educational Model to the setting of the Intercultural Maya University of Quintana Roo is available at: http://www.uimqroo.edu.mx/Documentos/NuestraUniversidad/Modelo-educativo-texto.pdf

As such, implementation of the similar but adapted approaches to intercultural education in different regions in Mexico also provides an opportunity for sustainable development through the possibility of collaboration and reflecting on lessons learned.

Please tell us about the resources used in this initiative

What was the budget for the initiative?

This information is not publicly available.

How much did the initiative depend on volunteers?

How were the costs perceived by the public/the sector/other stakeholders?

To what extent did the initiative achieve its objectives?

Please describe the evidence to support the success of your initiative.

McCowan and Franco (no date) report that initial findings suggest that intercultural universities in general and the UVI in particular did have a transformation effect on the communities they are based in, in particular to the extent that it provided them with access to higher education that would have otherwise been unavailable to them. This is true, in particular, for female enrollments (see also Cortina, 2016).

McCowan and Franco (no date) also highlight the importance of the outreach work of intercultural universities in the communities they are based in and that research activities of students have contributed to this and, in this way, strengthened the relevance of programmes at intercultural universities for indigenous students. This has contributed both to fostering sustainable development in the communities in which the intercultural universities are based and served as disincentive to migrate out from the region.

That being said, McCowan and Franco (no date) problemize the small scale of intercultural universities and the scope for their expansion. With regard to the UVI they report an enrollment of 342 students in 2016 and a total of 632 graduates between 2009 and 2015. McCowan and Franco (no date) also problemize the limited scope and breadth of the education offer, which restricts the professional opportunities and areas that students may have access to.

With regard to the professional pathways pursued by graduates of the Intercultural Management programme of the UVI, the initiative ‘Gestión Intercultural’ seeks to provide a platform for graduates to share their experience and reporting on their professional pathways after graduation. It is accessible through the following website: https://gestionintercultural.wordpress.com/

The Institute of Research in Education of the University of Veracruz has initiated a project entitled ‘Intersaberes’ that focuses on reflecting on the UVI, its teaching and learning process and impact to inform future development. The project can be accessed through the following site:

http://www.intersaberes.org/

It also has a Youtube project presentation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WJb784KV_8

Did the intervention lead to any unintended (positive) outcomes?

What indicators (quantitative and qualitative) have you measured to demonstrate success?

Dietz and Cortes (2011) report the following for the first 3 generations of students (2005-2009; 2006-2010; 2007-2011):

Total of 562 students – 336 women (~60%) and 226 men (~40%)

335 are native speakers of an indigenous language (~60%) and 227 speak only Spanish (~40%)

McCowan and Franco (no date) report:

In 2016 342 student were enrolled

From 2009-2015 632 graduates

(Appendix) How did you evaluate/monitor this intervention?

The Institute of Research in Education of the University of Veracruz has initiated a project entitled ‘Intersaberes’ that reflects on the UVI, its teaching and learning process and impact to inform future development. The project can be accessed through the following site:

http://www.intersaberes.org/

It also has a Youtube project presentation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WJb784KV_8

27/03/2019/by christine

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