- Description
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Founded in 1956, the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) is an association of nonprofit independent colleges and universities, state-based councils, and higher education affiliates that works to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of independent higher education’s contributions to society.
CIC is the major national organization that focuses on providing services to leaders of independent colleges and universities and state-based councils. CIC offers conferences, seminars, publications, and other programs and services that help institutions improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, student outcomes, and institutional visibility.
CIC and Riipen have joined forces in a multi-year work-based learning initiative to benefit 25 member institutions. This collaboration will integrate work-based learning opportunities into up to 375 courses led by 125 faculty members and impacting up to 11,250 students.
- Portal website
- https://learn.riipen.com/cic-wbl
Subportals experiences
Indigenous Histories, Power, and Social Justice
History 10188-01
Learners in this course develop a strong understanding of Indigenous worldviews, histories, and contemporary struggles, particularly regarding power, privilege, and social justice. They can critically analyze the systemic and structural inequalities faced by Indigenous communities, assess the impact of settler colonialism, and interpret different perspectives on sovereignty, activism, and identity. Learners will be able to engage in discussions on intersectionality, structural inequity, and historical and contemporary Indigenous issues using evidence-based reasoning. Employers working with these learners will benefit from their ability to: Recognize and analyze historical and present-day structures of inequality affecting Indigenous communities. Explain Indigenous worldviews and histories using scholarly evidence. Discuss power, privilege, and intersectionality in relation to Indigenous identities and experiences. Evaluate social justice frameworks and propose informed strategies to address inequities. Use interdisciplinary research methods to analyze complex social and historical issues.
Understanding Human Behavior in Social Contexts 2025
SOWK 312
This experience provides companies and organizations with a team of upper-level social work learners who are trained to analyze and assess human development, social systems, and environmental factors impacting individuals, families, and communities. Throughout this course, learners will: Analyze how biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors shape human development. Assess individuals, families, and communities across various life stages. Apply evidence-based social work theories and research to real-world challenges. Engage in discussions on social justice, equity, and systemic barriers affecting human well-being. Evaluate interventions that support individuals at different stages of life. By collaborating with our learners, companies and organizations will receive insightful, research-based assessments of human behavior and development, with practical recommendations for interventions, policies, or program development.
Finance in Action: Bridging Theory and Practice
FINA 331
This experience is designed for second-year students specializing in finance, marketing, management, accounting, and business analytics. These learners have developed foundational skills in financial analysis, strategic decision-making, and data interpretation. By engaging in real-world projects, students can apply their classroom knowledge to analyze financial data, develop budgeting strategies, and assess investment opportunities. This hands-on approach not only enhances their understanding of financial concepts but also equips them with practical skills that are valuable in the business world.
IT Security Policy Review and/or Development
CSC 445
Project Summary: Looking to elevate your organization, and bring it to the next level? Bring on learners from Concordia College to be your learner-consultants, in a project-based experience. Learners will work on one main project over the experience of the semester, connecting with you as needed with virtual communication tools. Learners in this program/experience will research IT security policies at similar companies based on size and type, making recommendations accordingly. We will deliver our recommendations in a format that the employer deems most appropriate (presentation, paper, report) What can our learners do for your company? Learners in groups of 2-3 will work with your company to identify your needs and provide actionable recommendations, based on their in-depth research and analysis. Project activities that learners can complete may include, but are not limited to: identifying the vulnerabilities that exist in computing systems and computing networks identifying common human factors that can increase exposure of computing systems to risk suggesting standard technological solutions for securing computing systems and networks suggesting standard educational measures to avert vulnerabilities caused by human factors