Statutes

§ 1 Name, registered office, and language
The association is called Åbo Akademis Alumner rf (in English “Åbo Akademi University’s Alumni”). The association is the alumni association of Åbo Akademi University and Åbo Akademi University’s Student Union. Its registered office is in Turku, and its language is Swedish.

§ 2 Purpose and activities of the association
The purpose of the association is to provide not-for-profit and financial support to Åbo Akademi University and Åbo Akademi University’s Student Union, as well as to maintain contact with and interest in them.

The association fulfils its mission through active communication with its members, with Åbo Akademi University and its Student Union, through mentoring activities, alumni meetings, and trips and banquets, by supporting other alumni actors at Åbo Akademi University, and by participating in and promoting fundraising activities for the benefit of Åbo Akademi University and Åbo Akademi University’s Student Union.

The association can receive donations and inheritance-based donations and own both movable and immovable property. The association can transfer the management of its property to the Åbo Akademi University Foundation.

§ 3 Members
The association’s members consist of alumnus members, supporting members, and honorary members.

The board can accept anyone who has studied or worked at Åbo Akademi University or the School of Business and Economics at Åbo Akademi University as an alumnus member.

On request, the board may accept an individual, legal entity, or foundation as a supporting member.

Upon the proposal of the board, the association can appoint a person who has meritoriously served the cause of the association as an honorary member. Honorary membership is a permanent membership right.

A member can withdraw from the association by notifying the association’s board.

A member who has not fulfilled their obligations to the association pursuant to the statutes, or who has behaved in a way that damages the association’s purpose, may be excluded from the association by the board. Exclusion requires a three-quarter majority.

§ 4 Membership fee
The annual meeting determines the amount of the membership fee, which may vary between alumnus members and supporting members.

Honorary members do not pay a membership fee.

§ 5 Board
The association’s affairs are managed by a board consisting of between 8 and 12 members. The board’s term of office is the period between annual meetings.

The board can appoint committees for special assignments or projects. The committees may have external members.

The board appoints a chair, vice-chair, and treasurer and it hires a secretary and other administrators.

The board meets when summoned by its chair or, in the chair’s absence, by the vice-chair, when they find a board meeting necessary, or when at least three of the other members of the board demand a meeting.

Notice of a meeting is to be sent to the board members electronically at least one week before the meeting, and the meeting agenda no later than three working days before the meeting.

The board is quorate when the chair or vice-chair and at least three of its members are present. Matters are decided by a simple majority. If the vote is tied, the chair has the deciding vote, or there is a lottery in the event of an election.

The chair of the board of the student union has the right to attend and speak at the board’s meetings.

§ 6 Awards and badge of merit
The board can award the Academic Award to reward young researchers at Åbo Akademi University. Award winners are appointed by the board based on the proposals of the faculties at Åbo Akademi University. The board decides on the size of the award in connection with a members’ meeting or the association’s banquet.

A member can be awarded the association’s badge of merit in bronze or silver in recognition of their efforts to benefit alumni activities and the association’s aims, or for their involvement and initiative related to the work of the board. The board decides on the granting of the badge of merit in connection with a members’ meeting or the association’s banquet.

§ 7 Signing in the association’s name
The chair, vice-chair, and treasurer of the board can each sign individually in the name of the association, as can two board members together.

§ 8 Accounts
The association’s financial year is the calendar year.

Financial statements with necessary documents and the board’s administration report must be submitted to the auditors no later than three weeks before the annual meeting. The auditors must provide their written audit report to the board no later than one week before the annual meeting.

§ 9 Convening the association’s meetings
The association’s meetings are convened by the board. Notice of the meeting must be issued no later than two weeks before the meeting, either by letter or e-mail to all members, or by announcing the meeting in at least two Swedish-language newspapers, as appointed by the board, that are published in Finland.

The association’s annual meeting is held annually before the end of April on a day determined by the board.

Extra meetings are held when the board finds it necessary or when at least one-tenth of the members entitled to vote request this in writing to the board for consideration of a specific matter.

Each member has one vote at the association’s meetings. Decisions are made by way of a simple majority. If the vote is tied, the chair has the deciding vote, or there is a lottery in the event of an election.

The board can decide on participation in the association’s meetings by post, through digital communication, or with any other technical aid before and during the meeting.

§ 10 Annual meeting
The following matters are dealt with at the association’s annual meeting:

1. Opening of the meeting
2. Election of the chair, vice-chair, secretary, minute-taker, and two vote counters for the meeting
3. Establishment of the meeting’s legality and quorum
4. Approval of the agenda for the meeting
5. Presentation of the financial statements, administration report, and auditors’ report
6. Adoption of the financial statements and discharge of liability for the board and other persons responsible for accounting
7. Adoption of the operations plan and budget, as well as the amount of the membership fees for the coming financial year
8. Election of the board
9. Election of two auditors and two deputies for these
10. Election of two representatives to the Åbo Akademi University Foundation every other year
11. Other matters mentioned in the notice of the meeting

If a member of the association wishes for a matter to be addressed at an association meeting, they must submit notification of this in writing in good time so that the matter can be included in the notice of the meeting.

§ 11 Amendment of the statutes and dissolution of the association
Decisions to amend the statutes must be agreed by at least three quarters of the votes cast at the association meeting.

A decision to dissolve the association must be agreed by at least three quarters of the votes cast at two consecutive association meetings.

The notice of the meeting must state that amendments to the statutes or the dissolution of the association will be discussed.

If the association is dissolved, its funds and property are to be transferred to the Åbo Akademi University Foundation for the foundation’s general purposes.

Approved 17 May 2018