1. If you are a student or parent, STOP and please contact your school with a link to this document.  Chapter requests may ONLY be generated by your school’s administration.  Inquiries from students or parents will NOT be accepted or responded to.  We recommend discussing your interest with your school’s administration to determine if establishing a chapter is a possibility.  We do NOT discuss chapter eligibility with anyone but school officials, even general questions.
2. Per NJ Department of Education rules , to be eligible to be a member of DECA, you must be currently or have previously been enrolled in a CTE CIP-coded business, management, marketing, hospitality, business finance or entrepreneurship course. Students may ONLY participate through the school you are enrolled in, not on your own.  There are NO exceptions to the enrollment rules, if a school does not offer business curriculum, they may not participate.  Personal Financial Literacy, as it is a graduation requirement is not considered to be an eligible course.  It may be paired with another course that does meet the requirements, but it may not stand on its own.  College courses do not count towards this requirement unless the student is receiving transcripted credit at the high school they are enrolled in.  Courses must correspond to one of the following CIP codes, as defined by the NJ DOE:

52.0301	Accounting	A program that prepares individuals to practice the profession of accounting and to perform related business functions. Includes instruction in accounting principles and theory, financial accounting, managerial accounting, cost accounting, budget control, tax accounting, legal aspects of accounting, auditing, reporting procedures, statement analysis, planning and consulting, business information systems, accounting research methods, professional standards and ethics, and applications to specific for-profit, public, and non-profit organizations.
52.0801	Finance	A program that generally prepares individuals to plan, manage, and analyze the financial and monetary aspects and performance of business enterprises, banking institutions, or other organizations. Includes instruction in principles of accounting, financial instruments, capital planning, funds acquisition, asset and debt management, budgeting, financial analysis, and investments and portfolio management.
52.0901	Hospitality Administration/Management, General	A program that prepares individuals to serve as general managers and directors of hospitality operations on a system-wide basis, including both travel arrangements and promotion and the provision of traveler facilities. Includes instruction in principles of operations in the travel and tourism, hotel and lodging facilities, food services, and recreation facilities industries; hospitality marketing strategies; hospitality planning; management and coordination of franchise and unit operations; business management; accounting and financial management; hospitality transportation and logistics; and hospitality industry policies and regulations.
52.1910	Hospitality and Recreation Marketing Operations	A program that prepares individuals to provide marketing services in the hospitality and leisure fields. Includes instruction in hospitality operations, customer sales and assistance operations and techniques, telephone operations, basic office management, retail sports, recreation equipment, food and beverage.
52.0904	Hotel/Motel Administration/Management	A program that prepares individuals to manage operations and facilities that provide lodging services to the traveling public. Includes instruction in hospitality industry principles; supplies purchasing, storage and control; hotel facilities design and planning; hospitality industry law; personnel management and labor relations; financial management; marketing and sales promotion; convention and event management; front desk operations; and applications to specific types of hotels and motel operations.
52.0909	Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Management	An instructional program that prepares individuals to manage operations and facilities that provide food and/or lodging services to the traveling public. Includes instruction in hospitality industry principles; supplies purchasing, storage, and control; hotel and restaurant facilities design and planning; hospitality industry law; personnel management and labor relations; financial management; facilities management; marketing and sale promotion strategies; convention and event management; front desk operations; and applications to specific types of hotel, motel, and/or restaurant operations.
52.0907	Meeting and Event Planning	A program that prepares individuals to plan, budget, and implement conferences, meetings, and other special events in the public or private sectors. Includes instruction in principles of meeting and event planning; special event management; budgets and finance; site selection; contracts, vendors, and negotiations; marketing and promotions; food and beverage management; audio-visual basics and meeting technology; and hospitality law.
12.0504	Restaurant, Culinary and Catering Management/Manager	A program that prepares individuals to plan, supervise, and manage food and beverage preparation and service operations, restaurant facilities, and catering services. Includes instruction in food/beverage industry operations, cost control, purchasing and storage, business administration, logistics, personnel management, culinary arts, restaurant and menu planning, executive chef functions, event planning and management, health and safety, insurance, and applicable law and regulations.
52.0905	Restaurant/Food Services Management	A program that prepares individuals to plan, manage, and market restaurants, food services in hospitality establishments, food service chains and franchise networks, and restaurant supply operations. Includes instruction in hospitality administration, food services management, wholesale logistics and distribution, franchise operations, business networking, personnel management, culinary arts, business planning and capitalization, food industry operations, marketing and retailing, business law and regulations, finance, and professional standards and ethics.
52.0903	Tourism and Travel Services Management/Event Planner	A program that prepares individuals to manage travel-related enterprises and related convention and/or tour services. Includes instruction in travel agency management, tour arranging and planning, convention and event planning, travel industry operations and procedures, tourism marketing and promotion strategies, travel counseling, travel industry law, international and domestic operations, and travel and tourism policy.
19.0905	Apparel and Textile Marketing Management	A program that focuses on marketing research and management as applied to the products and services of the apparel and textile industries. Includes instruction in applicable principles of textile and apparel design and manufacturing, sales and distribution systems, domestic and international market research, profitability, consumer research, and the design and implementation of marketing campaigns.
52.1401	Marketing/Marketing Management, General	A program that generally prepares individuals to undertake and manage the process of developing consumer audiences and moving products from producers to consumers. Includes instruction in buyer behavior and dynamics, principle of marketing research, demand analysis, cost-volume and profit relationships, pricing theory, marketing campaign and strategic planning, market segments, advertising methods, sales operations and management, consumer relations, retailing, and applications to specific products and markets.
52.1802	Merchandising and Buying Operations	A program that prepares individuals to function as professional buyers of resale products and product lines for stores, chains, and other retail enterprises. Includes instruction in product evaluation, merchandising, applicable aspects of brand and consumer research, principles of purchasing, and negotiation skills.
09.0900	Public Relations, Advertising and Applied Communication	A general program that focuses on organizational communication, public relations, and advertising; and that prepares individuals to function in a wide range of public and private sector positions requiring the skills of persuasive communication. Includes instruction in communications, public relations, and advertising theory; principles and techniques of persuasion; message/image design; marketing strategy; professional writing; public speaking and multi-media presentation skills; digital communications; and applied research.
52.1801	Sales, Distribution, & Marketing Operations, General	A program that focuses on the general process and techniques of direct wholesale and retail buying and selling operations and introduces individuals to related careers. Includes instruction in the principles of entrepreneurial economics, basic sales skills, the distribution channels for goods and services, and supervised practical application experiences.

 

3. DECA is a co-curricular activity.  DECA activities are to be incorporated into the course of study.  DECA clubs cannot be approved as Chapters.
4. DECA is an advisor driven model, not a student managed model. All NJ DECA chapters must have an adult Chapter Advisor who would organize and run the DECA Chapter.  While we believe in Student Leadership, the chapter advisor is the “CEO” of the chapter, and will be the primary liaison to NJ and National DECA. The role of the advisor is one of the management of the chapter and is the person responsible for travel, registration, being a liaison with the state office, communicating policy and procedure to the students. Student-run chapters are not permitted.
5. The advisor has a profound influence on chapter development, as well as gaining the support of school administration and the community for the CTSO and its activities. The advisor should meet periodically with other teachers in the CTE program area to share information and resources and gain their support for the CTSO chapter. Advisors should share state and national materials with student members, stimulate student participation in the planning process and involve as many student members as possible. An advisor should be the overall person in charge of your organization.

• The local advisor’s responsibilities include the following:
  • 1. Directing, chaperoning and coordinating the supervision of student members at CTSO activities conducted during, before or after the regular school day and serving as a liaison to the state office.
  • 2. Knowing the history, principles, bylaws, ceremonies, typical activities, procedures and other essentials for the active operation of a local chapter.
  • 3. Organizing the selection process for chapter officers.
  • 4. Providing for the training of chapter officers so that they can fulfill the responsibilities of their offices.
  • 5. Establishing rules that are consistent with school policies and the state and national organization’s bylaws.
  • 6. Conducting regular chapter meetings and ensuring that they are conducted in a businesslike manner using parliamentary procedure.
  • 7. Assisting the student members in developing an annual program of work, which includes a budget, calendar and committee assignments.
  • 8. Encouraging civic responsibility through professional conferences, chapter activities, school improvement projects, and support of community activities.
  • 9. Assisting in the maintenance of necessary chapter records: financial, membership, state and national dues reporting, annual reports of activities, financial development projects, etc.
  • 10. Planning, collecting, and arranging materials to promote the chapter and its events.
  • 11. Ensuring that the school, administration, faculty, students and the public are informed of chapter activities and outstanding student achievements.
  • 12. Recruiting and coordinating the preparation of student members for participation in local, state and national activities and competitive events.
  • 13. Knowing the guidelines for regional, state and national competitive events and coordinating participation at all levels.
  • 14. Overseeing financial development projects – collecting, counting, depositing, monitoring and distributing ordered or produced merchandise.
  • 15. Supervising the receipt, recording, depositing and expenditure of chapter funds.
  • 16. Serving as the lead adult responsible for the chapter, and supervising all student-led efforts.
  • 17. Facilitating the competitive event program in the chapter, including registering members for competition, assisting in preparation, and serving as an event facilitator.
  • 18. Serving as a liaison to the state and national chapter, and the sole communications conduit to and from the students.

• All NJ DECA high school chapters must have the approval of the school administration to run the program.  The NJ DECA program would include:
  • Competitions and Conferences – there are associated costs and travel time requirements for students
  • At least 10 students must participate as registered members of DECA
  • The Chapter Advisor must be available to travel with his/her students to participate in conferences/competitions and serve work shifts as assigned by NJ DECA, in addition to chaperone duties.
  • The Chapter Advisor needs to commit to attending occasional off-site meetings, such as the monthly meetings of the regional Marketing Teacher Association, which might take place during the school day.
  • Requirements for students to become members – to become a registered member of NJ DECA, a student must be currently or previously have been enrolled in a Marketing, Sales, Service, Hospitality, Business Finance, Management or Entrepreneurship course and pay annual dues to both NJ DECA and DECA, Inc.  Dues are currently  $15 — $8 to DECA, Inc. and $7 to NJ DECA.

6. The organization has chaperone requirements. There must be a school board approved chaperone at a ratio of 1adult per 10 students for in-state travel, and 1 adult per 8 students for out-of-state travel.  Parent chaperones are NOT permitted.  All chaperones must be present at all events.  Students may never transport themselves to events or conferences.  Advisors and/or Chaperones will be expected to complete work assignments at events (judging, timekeeping, proctoring, etc).  This supersedes any district or administration rules on chaperoning students.
7. If you have questions about the above requirements, please contact the NJ DECA State Office at info@njdeca.org.
8. If you believe the school meets the curriculum requirements, are willing to provide an advisor who will lead the chapter, and are willing to comply with above chaperone requirements, the local administrator or prospective advisor must fill out the form by clicking the red “Start a Chapter Button” at: https://membership.decaregistration.com/deca#
9. The state office will follow up with your request from there.

Thank you for your interest!