Sears Partners with IU School of Business

Sears and IU Business School establish Center for Education and Research in Retailing

By George Vlahakis

Sears, Roebuck and Co. and the Indiana University School of Business have established the Center for Education and Research in Retailing at IU.

The new center, the first of its kind in the Midwest, is designed to stimulate student interest and sponsor research projects in retailing and help faculty develop teaching materials and methods for the discipline.

As the founding sponsor, Sears will provide a grant exceeding $1 million over the next five years to cover initial operating expenses for the center as well as fund the design and installation of an electronic classroom that will be housed in the IU School of Business in Bloomington.

The new center will provide students, retailers and faculty with a forum for the identification and exchange of information on "best practices" for all aspects of retailing and retail management.

"We are proud to partner with IU's School of Business to build a dynamic and challenging program for students interested in pursuing careers in retailing," said Arthur C. Martinez, chairman and chief executive officer of Sears. "At the Center for Education and Research in Retailing, students will gain a greater insight into the challenges, issues and opportunities facing retailers today and understand the forces that will impact retailers in the future."

Dan Dalton, interim dean of the IU School of Business, added, "Retailing has a long tradition of excellence at IU, but the increased sophistication of retail management makes it imperative that business schools develop closer ties to the industry. The distinguished history and recent transformation at Sears will serve as an important resource and reference for students to learn first-hand the intricacies of the business."