ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Canadian Retail Education Association.  The association will operate under the laws and rules of Canada.

 

The official address of the CREA is:
Ted Rogers School of Retail Management,

Ryerson University,

55 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON, CA, M5G 2C3.

 

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

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The prime purpose of the Canadian Retail Education Association is to foster quality education and research at post-secondary institutions in subjects related to the retailing industry. The CREA will constitute a country-wide formalized community of practice focused on developing and professionalization of retail careers and industry-associated careers through post-secondary education and research. As such, the Association is committed to the development and advancement of:

 

• Thought leadership and retail education and the advancement of retail industry and retail careers;

• Quality teaching, with regard to both content and technique;

• Research and innovative approaches  to the understanding of the retail industry;

• The interaction of industry and academic leaders to promote an understanding of mutual needs, concerns, and opportunities.

 

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS  

 

Your CREA membership connects you with a community of educators dedicated to advancing the role of retail education in developing a strong and vibrant retail industry.  As a member of this community, you will have the opportunity to:

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• share information and considerations about emerging trends and issues with other educators, 

• disseminate retail thought leadership through research and teaching practices,

• raise the professional profile of retail careers, 

• provide development opportunities for students and educators,

• participate at conferences, 

• receive online publications, 

• be involved with showcases (experiential/applied learning practices), student competitions, and shared resources.  

 

The activities undertaken by the membership of the Association are intended to accomplish the following:

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• Enhance the professional development of the membership;

• Promote retailing as a profession;

• Provide a forum and clearinghouse for information on advances in retail teaching methods and retail research;

• Stimulate the exchange of ideas and retail research among the membership;

• Form strategic alliances with other related professional, business, and industry organizations.

• Encourage, support and disseminate retail research among academicians, practitioners, and students.

• Bridge international academic and retail boundaries.

 

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP GUIDELINES

 

A. Membership Philosophy

The Canadian Retail Education Association is a professional educator organization composed of members from post-secondary institutions that have retail programs or retail courses. 

 

Diverse membership among academic disciplines studying issues impacting retailing is encouraged and includes those who share the commitment to the purpose of the Association.  CREA includes individual voting membership of faculty and administrators at post-secondary institutions.

 

CREA also includes Corporate membership of industry professionals who share the commitment to the purpose of the Association. 

 

CREA also includes Student membership of students at Canadian post-secondary institutions who share a commitment to the purpose of the Association.

 

Individual, Corporate, and Student members pay dues. 

 

B.  Membership Categories

1.  Individual (Voting) Membership $50.00 (CDN)

Individual voting membership includes faculty or administrators at colleges or universities. For non-Canadian institutions, members representing schools offering equivalent programs will be voting members. The number of members from any college or university shall be unlimited, as long as each member meets the above criteria.

 

2.  Corporate Membership  $75.00 (CDN)

Corporate membership may be extended to individual retail industry professionals who have an interest in making a contribution to academic teaching and research in retailing.  

 

3.  Student (Voting) Membership  $10.00 (CDN)

Students at Canadian post-secondary institutions are eligible to become members. Graduate students enrolled in programs of study in academic disciplines involving retailing issues, or teaching retail courses in programs at accredited universities are also eligible to become student members.  Students enrolled in Post diploma programs at Community Colleges related to retailing are also eligible to become student members.

 

 

C. Voting Privileges 

1. Individual and student members in good standing may vote. 

2. Voting members are entitled to only one vote in all situations.

3. All meetings will operate under the terms of Robert Rules of Order (11th edition).  If Roberts Rules of Order are silent on a procedural matter, the Directors will agree on a procedure. 

4.  Day to day operations of the Association will be determined by the Directors.  

5.  Matters related to the purpose and/or philosophy of the Association will be determined at the Annual General Meeting through a vote by voting members.

6.  Selection of Board of Directors will be determined at the Annual General Meeting through a vote by voting members.  

 

 

ARTICLE V: ORGANIZATION

 

Section 1: Officers

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The organization shall have the following officers: a President, a Vice-President, a Past Vice-President, Secretary, a Treasurer. The term of all officers will be two years and one successive term. The officers will be selected by the Board of Directors through open vote.

The Board of the Directors composition is a minimum of nine voting members to a maximum to eleven voting members. The Board of Directors will include a minimum of one student.

The Board of Directors term will be two years.

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ARTICLE VI: BOARD MEETINGS AND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

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There will be two regular board meetings per year as determined by the Board of Directors (October/November and April/May). There will be an Annual General Meeting every year in the month of April/May.

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The signing officers for CREA will be the President and Treasurer.  If neither or both are not available the signing authority will be determined by the remaining members of the Board of Directors.

 

A quorum will constitute 50.1% of Board of Directors.

 

ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS

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The constitution may be amended by a three-fourths majority of members responding to a timed ballot mailed to all voting members. Requests for proposed amendments endorsed by a ten voting members of the Association, shall be made directly to the President for transmittal to the association's membership for a vote.

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It is recognized that this document was created with a Canadian perspective based upon the work of the American Collegiate Retailing Association – Professional Faculty Academic Retail - Copyright © 2015 ACRA