Bylaws

PREAMBLE

We, former students of the Department of Animal Biology and Conservation, University of Buea and, members of the Zoology Educational and Research Society of the University of Buea (ZERS UB), spurred by fraternal love and unity;

Mindful of the role unity plays in the achievement of educational, socio-economic and cultural development;

Hereby unanimously decide to create a platform bringing together all former ZERSans to cater for the well-being of each other and contribute to the development of our Alma Mater by setting up a group.

ARTICLE 1

Name

The official name of the association is Zoology Educational and Research Society of University of Buea - Alumni, hereafter referred to as ‘The Association’ (ZERS-UB Alumni). It is a non-profit and apolitical organization.

ARTICLE 2

Objectives

A. To provide a platform for all former ZERSans to meet and interact.

B. To support each other (e.g., share information on career, academic and related opportunities).

C. To give forward (e.g., via career coaching, scholarship packages, project support, etc.) to ZERSans.

ARTICLE 3

Membership

Section 3.1. Eligibility

A. Membership shall be open to every graduate of the Department of Animal Biology and Conservation, University of Buea.

B. Membership shall be by affiliation without distinction as to religion, sex, race, or political affiliation.

C. Membership shall be acquired by registering and paying the applicable membership fee (10,000 francs CFA).

D. Membership fee shall be paid yearly on or before March 1^st of each year.

Section 3.2. Responsibilities of Members

Every member shall:

A. Attend at least eight meetings in a calendar year.

B. Participate in meetings in a spirit of fraternity, tolerance, and with due respect to common objectives.

C. Pay all contributions as applicable.

D. Participate in elections.

Section 3.3. Privileges for members

Members shall benefit from:

A. A wide professional network.

B. Exclusive job, study & other opportunities.

C. Mentorship opportunities.

D. Financial support as defined under solidarity in the present bylaws.

E. The unique opportunity to give back to our alma mater (or give forward to the ZERSans).

ARTICLE 4

General Assembly

Section 4.1. Designation

The General Assembly shall be the supreme decision-making body of the Association.

Section 4.2. Responsibilities of the General Assembly

The General Assembly shall be in charge of:

A. Electing and installing executive committee (EXCO) members.

B. Nominating/voting an active member to fill in for an unavailable EXCO member.

C. Taking decisions which are not within the jurisdiction of the EXCO.

D. Holding all EXCO members accountable.

E. Amending the constitution and/or bylaws of the Association.

ARTICLE 5

Elections

Section 5.1. Installation of elected officials

Elections shall take place during the month of December and elected officials shall assume office in January of the following year.

Section 5.2. Term of office

The term of office shall be two years. A member may have numerous terms but no member shall have more than two terms consecutively.

ARTICLE 6

Executive Committee

ZERS-UB Alumni shall be governed by a committee comprising the following:

A. President

B. Secretary General

C. Financial Secretary

D. Treasurer

E. Disciplinary Officer

F. IT Coordinator

ARTICLE 7

Duties of Executive Committee and Committee Members

Section 7.1. The executive committee shall prepare and present to the General Assembly, a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) Plan of Action, within two months after installation into office.

Section 7.2. The President shall:

A. Preside at all general and executive meetings.

B. Co-develop an agenda prior to meetings.

C. Act as co-signatory for the Association in all legal and financial matters.

D. Serve as official spokesperson when required.

E. Ensure that the Association’s objectives and interests are achieved

Section 7.3. The Secretary General (SG) shall:

A. Ensure that records of the Association are maintained and made available when required by the General Assembly.

B. Give proper notification of meetings.

C. Co-develop and distribute an agenda prior to meetings.

D. Maintain the register of members.

E. Manage written minutes of the Association and distribute in a timely manner via the appropriate platforms.

F. Manage general correspondence and ensure that accurate and sufficient documentation exists to meet legal requirements.

Section 7.4. The Financial Secretary shall:

A. Collect and record all dues/collections and forward same to the Treasurer for depositing in the Bank Account of the Association;

B. Make all requests of expenditure of money to the Treasurer upon written authority from the President;

C. Keep detailed records of all the finances of the Association;

D. Work hand-in-hand with the Treasurer and President;

E. Prepare (in collaboration with the Treasurer) and present a written financial statement quarterly.

Section 7.5. The Treasurer shall:

A. Maintain an accurate record of all financial transactions of the Association in the appropriate file formats.

B. Ensure that all monies, including membership fees, donations, etc. paid to the Association are received into the Association’s account(s).

C. Issue receipts in the name of the Association and disburse any payments approved by the Association/Executive committee.

D. Act as a co-signatory of Association’s account(s)

E. Collaborate with the Financial Secretary to maintain accurate financial records and prepare effective financial reports for the Association.

Section 7.6. The Disciplinary Officer shall:

A. Ensure that all members comply with the present bylaws.

B. Maintain order at all General Assembly and Executive meetings.

C. Track attendance at meetings and communicate warnings and disciplinary actions

Section 7.7. The Information Technology (IT) Coordinator shall:

A. Oversee the functionality of the website, evaluate and manage website performance (e.g., backups), maintain and update website content

B. Provide advice on the most suitable IT choices for the Association

C. Perform other duties as deemed fit/necessary by the Association

D. Post meeting minutes (approved by the Executive and General Assembly) and relevant opportunities on the Association’s website

E. Post Association meeting and other related announcements on the website

ARTICLE 8

Meetings

Section 8.1.

The General Assembly shall meet on the last Saturday of each month, or on dates selected by the President and/or Executive Committee in the event of any unforeseen circumstances.

Section 8.2.

The meetings shall be by video-conferencing or any other designated location for the purpose as proposed by the Executive Committee.

Section 8.3. The duration of a meeting shall be 1.5 hours.

ARTICLE 9

Solidarity

Section 9.1. Contributions.

A. Each member shall contribute a minimum of 20,000 francs CFA into the solidarity fund annually.

B. All solidarity contributions shall be paid by March 1^st at the latest.

C. The unexpended funds at the end of each year shall be rolled forward to the next year.

Section 9.2. Benefits

A. The Association shall organise come-together (re-union) events once every three years at destinations chosen by the General Assembly.

B. In the event of births and marriages, the Association shall gift the token sum of 25,000 francs CFA within a period of 30 days.

C. In the event of the loss of a biological parent, child, or spouse, the Association shall support the bereaved with the symbolic sum of 25,000 francs CFA within a period of 30 days.

D. A member shall benefit only once (one time in the life of the Association) in an event of birth and three times in an event of loss (death) of loved ones as stated in Article 9, section 9.2 (B and C).

ARTICLE 10

Funding

The association shall derive its finances from the following sources:

A. Membership registration fees (renewable)

B. Fines (for non-compliance)

C. Free-will donations from well-wishers.

ARTICLE 11

Audits

Section 11.1. The financial year shall run from January to December.

Section 11.2. The General Assembly shall be updated on its financial status quarterly.

Section 11.3. Auditors shall comprise three non-EXCO members from the General Assembly and shall prepare and present an annual audit report.

ARTICLE 12

Rules and regulations.

Section 12.1. Quorum

A. At any meeting of the Association, a quorum shall consist of a 2/3 (two thirds) of the members.

B. No business other than the nomination of a chair or the adjournment of the meeting shall be conducted when a quorum is not attained.

C. Where a quorum is not attained due to repeated or multiple and unjustified absences the president or chair shall conduct the meeting, irrespective of article 12, section 12.1(A) and decisions arrived at during such a session shall be binding.

Section 12.2. Replacement of Elected Officials.

In the event of the resignation, suspension or expulsion of an EXCO member, the General Assembly shall organize a quasi-election within 3 months to fill the vacancy.

ARTICLE 13

Disciplinary actions

Section 13.1. Absence from meetings

A. Three (3) consecutive absences from meetings in a year without a reasonable explanation by an EXCO member shall trigger a summoning from the rest of the EXCO and possible subsequent disciplinary action.

B. Six (6) consecutive absences from meetings in a year without a reasonable explanation by a member shall trigger a summoning from the EXCO and possible subsequent disciplinary action.

Section 13.2. Non-compliance with the ZERS-UB Alumni bylaws shall attract disciplinary actions ranging from warnings to expulsion from the group.

Section 13.3. Other behaviour warranting disciplinary action shall be determined (on a case-by-case basis) by the designated authority.

Section 13.4. The decision to take disciplinary actions shall be determined by a quorum (2/3) of the General Assembly.

Section 13.5. Disciplinary measures may range from suspension to replacement (for elected officials), fines, and other reasonable courses of action.

Section 13.5.1. The following fines shall apply:

A. Failure to pay contributions within established timelines shall attract a fine of 2,000 francs CFA;

B. Failure to perform assigned tasks resulting in any form of loss to the Association shall attract a fine of 5,000 francs CFA;

C. Other behaviours warranting disciplinary action may result in fines ranging from 2,000 francs CFA to 5,000 francs CFA (for non-EXCO members) and 3,000 francs to 6,000 francs CFA (for EXCO members).

Section 13.6. Excluded (suspended, expelled, resigned) members shall automatically lose all benefits associated with membership and must pay all that is owed to ZERS-UB Alumni.

Section 13.7. Excluded members can be re-instated if they correct their wrong actions and submit a written request to be reinstated.

Section 13.8. ZERS-UB Alumni shall take relevant measures, including legal instruments to enforce disciplinary decisions.

ARTICLE 14

Amendments to bylaws

Section 14.1. These bylaws shall be amended yearly for the first two years (i.e., 2021 and 2022) and biennially thereafter as deemed relevant by the General Assembly.