Abstract:

The Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UNACH), since 2007 year, has been working for increasing options in high education in Chiapas, through the opening of new academic mixed model and programmes, for education offer (on line, video conference and field work). Those programmes have been designed on different subjects looking for supporting local development such as: software development, social management, municipal development and governability, population security against disasters, human rights, statistic and information systems, English and tourist management. The new academic model includes an innovative curricular model that considers the modular approach for designing the programmes that is based on: development professional competences; three years time for ending; advise and tutorial students´ support on line and also, integral activities at the end of each module that includes field work in looking for putting into practice the knowledge received on line in activities centered on problems (for doing this, the university counts with Unidades de Vinculación Docente (UVD), an academic tool adapted from the traditional model and that has been used since fifteen years ago).

The new academic mixed model has received recognition from the Universidad Nacional de México (UNAM) and the Common Space for Higher Distance Education (ECOESAD), how are promoting it for been replicated in other Latin-American countries.

The UNACH, during the last three years, had invested in new technology with nearly $ 4 million USD. Nowadays student’s populations are around 500 students and by the end of 2010 year, they will be the first graduates.

The counties where the students are receiving education on line are san Cristóbal de las Casas, Tapachula, Comitán, Copainalá, Yajalon (these two last are located in rural areas) and the University is beginning to offer places in Pantepec (one of the counties with the lowers human development indicators in Chiapas and México, where population becomes from the ethnic Zoque´s group). The UNACH has made the compromise of increasing education offer to other indigenous countries with students’ families, that have not economic possibilities or support their children for living in the places where the campus are located.

The Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas, is looking to promote its new academic mixed model, as an innovative and different option in open opportunities for all population including native groups, in spite of economic and geographical distances.

Keywords:

new mixed academic model, innovative, different, on line, field work.