News & Events

SPP: COLA update

The UVic Staff Pension Plan is indexed for inflation, which means that each year, pensions receive a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). This adjustment is calculated by determining the average Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI) of the past 12 months (ie October 2021 to September 2022), compared to the average of the previous 12 months.

CPP Valuation Update

An actuarial valuation was completed earlier this year for the defined benefit component of the Combination Pension Plan. The valuation, which covered the three-year period from the beginning of 2019 through the end of 2021, shows that the Plan continues to have a solid foundation for providing financial security to its members.

Board of Trustee Election Update

In September, members of the University of Victoria Combination Pension Plan were notified of the nomination process to fill trustee positions on the Pension Board of Trustees. These positions were coming open because the three-year elected terms of current Trustees Michael Miller and Susan Service expire at the end of December 31, 2022. We are pleased to update you that in response to the call for nominations, two nominations were submitted. Given that the number of nominees matched the number of available Trustee positions, an election is not required. Nominees Michael Miller and Ori Granot have been acclaimed and will begin terms starting January 1, 2023. These results have been ratified by the Pension Board of Trustees.

IVA - COLA

With the current economic situation, inflation and changes to cost of living are top of mind. For pensioners who have elected an Internal Variable Annuity (IVA), such discussion may also raise questions about the calculation of Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA).

2022 CPP & MPP AGM

The Pension Board of Trustees will be holding its Annual General Meeting of the membership on Wednesday July 6, 2022, from 4:30 to 6:00pm. Join us for a report on Board activities and performance of Plan funds in 2021. This meeting will be virtual. Members of the plan will receive an invitation in the mail with directions for registering for the meeting. Members can also contact the Pension Services office for more details: pensionsAGM@uvic.ca

The War in the Ukraine: Pension Investments

As the University of Victoria has stated, we are deeply troubled about Russia’s military attacks in Ukraine, the impact on the country’s citizens and international stability, and the impact for university community members. The Combination Pension Plan, Money Purchase Pension Plan and Staff Pension Plan each have several investment managers. These managers are responsible for different types of assets. Two of these investment managers – BCI and PH&N – have indicated that a fraction of a percentage of their total assets under management are invested in Russia. The exposure of UVic pension plans to those investments is in itself quite limited. However, we have been assured by these managers that they are now addressing these investments through their internal processes, which are evolving as the situation changes. We are closely monitoring the situation in the Ukraine and its global impacts. Pension Services, the Pension Board of Trustees and Staff Pension Plan Committees are staying apprised of developments. We continue to work with the investment managers and investment consultants for each plan to monitor and assess the situation.

Combination Plan contribution rate change effective January 01 2020

As communicated to members earlier in 2019, the Pension Board recently decided that the Plan is sufficiently healthy to reduce the contribution rate for the Defined Retirement Benefit Account (DRBA), which funds the defined benefit component of the Combination Pension Plan. This contribution rate has been set at 5.05% of salary since 2011 and will now be reduced to 4% effective January 1, 2020.

Pension Board election update

In November 2019, Dr. Michael Miller and Ms. Susan Service we re-elected as Trustees on the Pension Board, for three year terms starting January 01, 2020. The next election for two positions on the Pension Board will be held in 2020, for terms beginning January 01, 2021. For more information, please visit the Governance section of the Combination Pension Plan webpage.

Introduction to High Performance Computing with Alliance Resources

In this free workshop, we will introduce the high performance computing resources available for Canadian academic researchers. In a hands-on tutorial, you will learn how to use these computeresources for your research.

Student Life Grant Info Session

The UVic Student Life Grant and Anti-Racism Supplement (up to $1500 per applicant) seeks to fund student-led initiatives that engage and positively impact the UVic campus community.

The next application deadline is September 30.

Heart-to-Heart Talks

Take time out of your busy schedule to join this online 1:1 program to explore and discuss what's important to you. Any topic can be discussed and conversation is withoutjudgement.

I-witness Field School Info Session 1

The I-witness Field School on Holocaust memorialization will be running from May 8–June 8, 2024, with one week at UVic and three weeks in Europe (Germany, Poland, and Austria). This is a 3.0 unitundergraduate course and applications are due November 1, 2023. Please join us at this information session if you would like further information about the program.

https://www.uvic.ca/humanities/germanicslavic/undergraduate/home/fieldschool/index.php

Introduction to REDCap

Learn about using REDCap for online surveys and web-based data capture.

Spanish Conversation Café

Spanish Conversation Café is an opportunity for UVic students to practice Spanish conversation in a fun, relaxed environment!

All levels welcome!

Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Fridays
Time: 2:45 - 3:45 PM
Where: CLE A406

Probability and dynamics seminar: Monomer-Dimer Models in the Disordered Setting

Speaker: Kesav Krishnan, University of Victoria
Location: DSB C130
Event type: Probability and Dynamics seminar