Daily Bulletin, Thursday, October 13, 1994

UW LEADERS are up at Ruby's nightclub this morning -- no, not partying,
but presenting a brief to the Ontario Council on University Affairs in
a public space that was perceived as "neutral", not on campus.  OCUA is
crisscrossing the province hearing what universities think of a "discussion
paper" on funding that it circulated late in the summer.

What they mostly think is that the paper is unduly critical of the university
system and foreshadows deep government intervention ("micromanagement").
Particularly unpopular is what the OCUA calls Model C, a funding formula
generically known as "purchase of service".  Under that model, the
government would make specific deals with specific universities: so many
students at such a price, thus much research, these forms of community
service.  

It's not only UW that has disapproved of this idea in its brief to the
OCUA.  Says the University of Guelph brief, being presented later today:
"Implementation of a system such as that proposed by Model C would have
to be carefully devised to prevent universities from becoming just
another arm of government reflecting the views of whichever party
happened to be in power."

The UW presentation to OCUA this morning is a joint effort: the president
and other senior officials will be side by side with leaders of faculty,
staff and students.  Staff association president Sharon Adams was last
seen preparing a few words for OCUA about the contribution that staff make
to the quality of university education, and the effect that the financial
squeeze is having on staff's ability to do a good job.

LATER TODAY there will be another high-level encounter as Ontario premier
Bob Rae visits campus.  He'll appear at 2:30 in the Davis Centre great
hall, to make what is described as "a major announcement".

BICYCLE ISSUE:  Rumours are circulating about tough new rules controlling
the use of bicycles on campus.  But both the director of safety, Kevin
Stewart, and the director of security, Al MacKenzie, say it's news to
them, so it would be safe to conclude that no such change is on the
table.  "I have not heard of any proposal to put restrictions on
bicycles," says MacKenzie, whose department is responsible for traffic
and parking.

PENSION FUND:  A memo from the provost is going out today to faculty and
staff members.  Here's what it says:

     On October 4, 1994 the Board of Governors approved the unanimous
     recommendation of the Pension and Benefits Committee that three
     new investment managers (Sceptre, Gryphon and Conner, Clark and
     Lunn) be hired to replace Mucana and Jarislowsky/Fraser.  The new
     managers were chosen after interviews with Mucana and Jarislowsky/
     Fraser and six other managers, short listed from the top performing
     fund managers in Canada.

     M. K. Wong, the pension fund's fourth manager, will continue to
     invest about 114 million dollars with the remaining 346 million
     dollars of the pension fund to be distributed approximately as
     follows, in millions of dollars -- Gryphon 75, Sceptre 103,
     Conner Clark and Lunn 103, real return bonds 65.  These bonds
     are with the Government of Canada and they guarantee a real return
     to the fund of at least 4.5% greater than the rate of inflation.

     It is important for members to know that the Pension and Benefits
     Committee has ongoing responsibility for monitoring pension fund
     returns against performance standards set by the Committee; it meets
     with fund managers at least twice per year.  Members should
     understand as well that investment performance does not directly
     affect pension earned.  Pensions in our type of plan are determined
     by two main factors, member earnings near retirement and member
     credited service in the plan.  However, investment performance is
     important to individual members because it is a factor in determining
     the existence of any excess member contributions.  Also, if assets
     in the fund exceed liabilities, pension plan benefits could be
     improved.

DISCRIMINATION MEETING:  The ad hoc committee on possible changes to
UW's policies and procedures dealing with "harassment, prejudicial
discrimination, and other unethical behaviour" is having another open
meeting at noontime today.  It's intended chiefly for undergraduate
students, who are invited to come and give their thoughts.  The meeting
will start at 12:30 in Arts Lecture Hall room 113.

Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
888-4567 ext. 3004      credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca