Javier Tarango , Patricia Murguía Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, México

1. Javier Tarango, Patricia MurguíaUniversidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, México Indigenous Rarámuris as University Students: Opportunities for Information Literacy

2. Background • Mexico’s general population is over 107 millions • Indigenous population accounts for 10 million people located in mainly 12 of the 32 States • Historically, the indigenous ornatives were neglected (economic, political and social) since the period of the Spanish Conquest of Mexico • The Mexican Constitution grants equal access to basic education to all the population

3. Introduction • Search for a more plural higher education • Initiatives of the National Association of Universities and Institutions of Higher Education (ANUIES)andFord Foundation • Support Program for Indigenous Students in Higher Education Institutions (PAEIIES) – National Scope • Program for Indigenous Students (PAEI) for Rarámuris or Tarahumaras groups – Local/Sate Scope

4. Mexican Indigenous Inclusion in Higher Education • Diversity of universities in Mexico: 1) Traditional universities (Great and median cities) 2) Technological universities (Technical and industrial education) 3) Intercultural universities (Located in their own communities) • Each one offer strength and weakness in indigenous population inclusion • Public higher education with Support Programs for Indigenous Students - 23 institutions /over 366

5. Rarámuris: Retrospective and Prospective Analysis • The history of indigenous in the State of Chihuahua, goes back to the Rarámuris who were the first inhabitants of the region (15,000 years ago) • Indigenous population (Chiefly Rarámuris) in Chihuahua is over 100,000 citizens • The current Rarámuris inhabitants grouped by their geographical Chihuahua locations are: 1) Sierra Tarahumara inhabitants 2) Tarahumara groups settled in large cities 3) Tarahumaras who live in medium to small cities

6. Support Program for Indigenous Students (PAEI):UACH University Experience • UACH started the PAEI Program in 2010 • The program objectives are to promote admission to higher education of indigenous students • PAEI includes five broad actions: Academic support, tutoring, enrollment and integral health supervision • The PAEI successful experience is the institutionalization of the program into a formal department

7. Rarámuris students at UACH • Actual population: 122 indigenous students - 116 Rarámuris and four Ódamis or North Tepehuanes; one Mixe, and one Mixteco from other states • Undergraduate programs: Enrolled in 27 academic programs • Distribution by disciplines: Health sciences, 37%; Engineering, 37%; Management, 34%; Agricultural Science ,12%; and Arts and Humanities, 7% • Academic performance indicators : • Grade Point Average ( GPA) of 7.31 over a maximum score of 10 and minimum approval of 6 • Drop out rates are 8.19%

8. Library Role and Information Literacy (IL): Model’s Proposal • The library and IL program must be tailored to academic support and tutoring schemes • The initial proposed step is work to assess their current IL skills and levels of expertise • Build a IL work model, taking as a reference community learning strategies • The final intention must will to integrate indigenous students to the common academic model without differences to the rest of the academic community

9. Conclusions • The IL program will be a follow up to PAEI after the institutionalization of the program into a university department • Develop an IL program at the main university library, with the participation of librarians and faculty • This proposal will include: 1) A library IL program; 2) Identification of paper publications and electronic sources owned by UACH; 3) A compilation of websites • Build a close working relationship between PAEI and the university library

10. Natérarabá Gracias Thanks you Javier Tarango (jtarango@uach.mx) Patricia Murguía (pmurguia@uach.mx)