FAQ
There have been a few questions concerning BEST Alumni Network (BAN). This section gives answers to the most common ones.
Q: Is membership to BAN automatic?
A: No. Unlike before, we have a proper organisation now, not just a mailing list. This requires that you actively join the association and pay its membership fee.
Q: Do Alumni have to join BAN?
A: You're very much encouraged to join. Otherwise, it is not a "must-do". Services provided by BEST for Alumni will continue to exist, and services provided by BAN may also be accessible to non-members.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: To become a member of BAN you pay a fee of 10 euros per year.
Q: What about BAN events?
A: Like in BEST, a group of people organises events for the "general public". In this case, the group is BEST Alumni Network, and the general public are all BEST Alumni.
Q: Do I have to be member of BAN to participate in its events?
A: Generally not. As per the Statutes, the Association "reserves the right to charge higher event participation fees for Suspended Members, to encourage Active Member status." The same applies to non-members.
Q: How will the fee be used?
A: The fees are used for set-up and maintenance of IT services (membership database, website, collaboration tools...) and to co-fund events that members organise. A detailed budget and financial report are provided yearly by the Board for the members' review.
Q: What does the Board do?
A: Please refer to the BAN statutes, section IV, for a detailed answer.
In short: keep the association up and running, and be the official point of contact. Note that it's not the duty of the Board to organise events other than the GA. This is something that every member can and should do. BAN also has an Advisory Board that is in charge of the overall association strategy over a longer period of term, also making sure the Executive Board acts responsibly.
Q: As a possible future member, what can I do for the organisation?
A: First of all join the organisation, a network's strength is based on its members. Then join our events, bring in your ideas on how to evolve our network of Alumni to the next level, or eventually participate to a project or help the Board.
There are many potential events we haven't thought of yet. For example, why are many Alumni not currently coming to AMs during BEST GA/PM? Is it because that meeting is not attractive to them? Are they busy with families so they don't want to go to remote places? Do they have other needs that BEST or BEST Alumni are not covering? These are the questions we can think of when we plan and propose future activities.
Note: these discussions are held among all members, not just the Board.
Q: Does BAN have a mission/vision ?
A: Yes. See also BAN statutes I.3.
Mission (non profit): to promote and facilitate networking and collaboration among Alumni of BEST.
Aims: to achieve its mission, the international association carries out mainly the following activities:
To support and strengthen the network of Alumni of BEST;
To strengthen the social ties among Alumni of BEST;
To promote business and career opportunities for Alumni of BEST;
To foster professional and personal development of Alumni of BEST;
To offer constructive support to BEST and to reciprocally exchange best practices.
Q: How can I join BEST Alumni Network if I'm not officially Alumni on PA?
A: When you apply to BEST Alumni Network we would like to know whether you used to be active in BEST. Usually, we look up your profile in the Private Area. In case you are not registered as Alumni there, there is the possibility to be endorsed by three other members of BEST Alumni Network. As per the Statutes, section II.1:
In the absence of such a "Private Area" account, a prospective member can be endorsed by three (3) individual Active Members of the Association.
To endorse a prospective member, a Member must send a signed letter to the Executive Board explaining the reasons for their endorsement.
In exceptional cases, the Board can reject an endorsement or an application for membership. Such rejections must be presented to the Advisory Board for approval.
The procedure for applying for membership is described in the Internal Regulations.
Q: How is my personal data handled by the association?
A: BEST Alumni Network will request permission to process and share your data according to the GDPR. A detailed privacy policy is being worked on, but in general it will detail the following points:
We need some data to track membership registrations & fees;
We need some data to get in touch with members to allow for events to be organised, elections and GA to take place;
Data will be shared through third-party providers;
The data owner can contact the Board to ask for deletion of his/her account after termination of membership (after a certain grace period);
Any complaint is to be redirected to the Board.
Q: I have registered through the application form. What are the next steps?
A: Thanks for registering! Our admins regularly check the registration requests, and will get back to you via email with the next steps.