'The Government Inspector' is the first play in the UW drama department's 2009-10 season (performances tonight through Saturday, and again next week, in the Theatre of the Arts). A satirical 1836 comedy by Russian playwright Nikolai Gogol, it tells the story of what happens when the officials of a provincial town mistake a small-time con artist for an important bureaucrat. Pictured: Chai Lavie as the mayor accosts Reid Vanier as Khletakov, the visitor to town. Photo by Dave Metcalfe.

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Pension actuary will answer questions

Staff and faculty members can expect to hear “a balanced message” about the UW pension plan tomorrow, says the chair of the pension and benefits committee, which will present that message in three public meetings.

Janet Passmore, who is also UW's associate provost (human resources), said the presentation will be made by Allan Shapira, the consulting actuary who advises the P&B committee on the complicated numbers involved in the $800 million plan. His key message: “While the plan is not immune to the effects of the economic situation, the plan is well-managed.”

That’s the same message Shapira brought to UW’s board of governors in a 45-minute presentation on October 27, focusing on the policies that are followed to reduce risk for current and future pensioners and for UW as the employer.

In that presentation he had high praise for the P&B committee. “I don’t think I’ve ever been involved with a committee like it,” he said, telling the board that committee members — UW administrators, faculty, union and non-union staff, retirees and board of governors representatives — trust each other, work together and move fast when action is necessary.

“Waterloo has led the university sector, and other sectors as well, in addressing the contribution structure,” Shapira said, referring to a move last spring to increase the amount of money going into the pension fund both from UW and from its employees in order to keep its future safe.

There have been scare stories in the media over the last few months about the condition of many big pension funds — most of all, the one at General Motors of Canada, which is reported to have a deficit of some $2 billion. But the UW pension fund (and those at many other universities and other public-sector employers) is different in two ways, Shapira made clear:

• “First to note, this is a defined benefit pension plan.” That means the pension a staff or faculty member earns after retirement is based on a formula, not on the earnings of the pension fund. An employee who retires at age 62 or older can expect to receive, from the UW pension and Canada Pension, 2 per cent of “final average salary” for each year that he or she has worked at UW and paid pension premiums.

• Both the employer and the employees put money into the fund. By contrast, “in the private sector, a number of years ago most of the pension plans went non-contributory,” so that the fund (at GM, for example) depends entirely on the financial health of the company.

As of January 1, 2009, the market value of the UW pension plan’s investments was reported as $773 million, down from $938 million a year earlier. Since then, Shapira noted, stock markets have been going back up — but what really matters will be the fund’s value in January 2011, when the university has to file its next balance sheet with the Ontario government.

The way things look right now, UW’s plan is in better shape than those of many other employers — even other universities — because a good slice of the fund is invested not in stocks but in “real return bonds” that are paying an interest rate of 4 per cent above the inflation rate. Again, Shapira gave credit to the P&B committee for diversifying its investments in that way.

People who look at the figures “are surprised”, he said, at how much the pension fund relies on long-term earnings to cover its liabilities to future retirees. But the alternative would be even higher contributions from employees out of every paycheque.

The average contribution from faculty and staff is 6.79 per cent of salary, Shapira told the board. The university puts in 9.85 per cent of salary (that is, $1.45 for every dollar that comes from individual employees). And the goal for investment earnings is 3.85 per cent above the inflation rate.

A memo from the P&B committee says that tomorrow’s meetings “will include an overview of the UW pension plan, how the plan is performing in this current economic climate, and opportunity for plan members to ask questions and provide comment on areas the Committee is exploring to ensure the sustainability and affordability of the plan.” Shapira “will begin with a presentation followed by time for questions and comments. Members of the P&B Committee will be present at each information session. Pension plan members are encouraged to attend. Managers are requested to allow staff time to attend these meetings during work hours.”

Friday's hour-long meetings will be held in Rod Coutts Engineering Lecture Hall, starting at 11:30 (room 301), 3:30 (room 101) and 6:00 (room 101). PowerPoint materials from the presentation will be posted online after tomorrow.

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UW-created plastic used in 2010 Ford

a news release issued yesterday in Dearborn, Michigan

Ford Motor Company, working with academic researchers and one of its suppliers, is the first automaker to develop and use environmentally friendly wheat straw-reinforced plastic in a vehicle.

The first application of the natural fibre-based plastic that contains 20 per cent wheat straw bio-filler is on the 2010 Ford Flex’s third-row interior storage bins. This application alone reduces petroleum usage by some 20,000 pounds per year, reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 30,000 pounds per year, and represents a smart, sustainable usage for wheat straw, the waste byproduct of wheat.

“Ford continues to explore and open doors for greener materials that positively impact the environment and work well for customers,” said Patrick Berryman, a Ford engineering manager who develops interior trim. “We seized the opportunity to add wheat straw-reinforced plastic as our next sustainable material on the production line, and the storage bin for the Flex was the ideal first application.”

Ford researchers were approached with the wheat straw-based plastics formulation by the University of Waterloo as part of the Ontario BioCar Initiative — a multi-university effort among Waterloo, the University of Guelph, University of Toronto and University of Windsor. Ford works closely with the Ontario government-funded project, which is seeking to advance the use of more plant-based materials in the auto and agricultural industries.

Waterloo already had been working with plastics supplier A. Schulman of Akron, Ohio, to perfect the lab formula for use in auto parts, ensuring the material is not only odourless, but also meets industry standards for thermal expansion and degradation, rigidity, moisture absorption and fogging. Less than 18 months after the initial presentation was made to Ford’s Biomaterials Group, the wheat straw-reinforced plastic was refined and approved for Flex, which is produced at Ford’s Oakville Assembly Complex.

The wheat straw-reinforced resin demonstrates better dimensional integrity than a non-reinforced plastic and weighs up to 10 per cent less than a plastic reinforced with talc or glass. “Without Ford’s driving force and contribution, we would have never been able to move from academia to industry in such lightning speed,” said Leonardo Simon, associate professor of chemical engineering at UW. “Seeing this go into production on the Ford Flex is a major accomplishment for Waterloo and the BioCar Initiative.”

An interior storage bin may seem like a small start, but it opens the door for more applications, said Ellen Lee, technical expert at Ford’s Plastics Research. “We see a great deal of potential for other applications since wheat straw has good mechanical properties, can meet our performance and durability specifications, and can further reduce our carbon footprint — all without compromise to the customer.”

In Ontario alone, where Flex is built, more than 28,000 farmers grow wheat, along with corn and soybeans. Typically, wheat straw, the byproduct of growing and processing wheat, is discarded. Ontario, for example, has some 30 million metric tons of available wheat straw waste at any given time.

“Wheat is everywhere and the straw is in excess,” said Lee. “We have found a practical automotive usage for a renewable resource that helps reduce our dependence on petroleum, uses less energy to manufacture, and reduces our carbon footprint. More importantly, it doesn’t jeopardize an essential food source.”

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Other notes in 'St. Martin's summer'

Five years ago, UW was moving into the new Architecture building in Cambridge. Ten years ago, in 1999, a big corporate grant helped launch the software engineering program. Fifteen years ago, cake celebrated the grand opening of the South Campus Hall concourse, previously a wind tunnel. Twenty years ago, a Waterloo alumni party was the first private event held in Toronto's new SkyDome. Thirty years ago, the Third Decade Report led to the creation of a technology transfer office. And forty years ago, the faculty of environmental studies (now just Environment) and the Gazette were born. Staff members who arrived at UW in all those years will be the guests of honour today at a by-invitation "staff recognition" reception, to be held from 4 to 6 p.m. in South Campus Hall. "The event," says the human resources department, "consists of appetizers, hors d'oeuvres, a bar and a speech by a special guest."

Meanwhile, "some of the brightest and most outstanding undergraduate and graduate students" will be receiving honours at the 34th annual Engineering Awards Dinner, says dean of engineering Adel Sedra. "Award recipients are honoured and recognized during the course of the evening for their scholastic achievements and leadership accomplishments." The event — again, by invitation — takes place at St. George's Hall in north Waterloo, and the dinner menu involves a choice of prime rib, seared salmon, or curried stuffed pineapple. Keynote speaker tonight, says the dean, is "serial entrepreneur Gerry Sullivan, chairman of Energent" and a UW graduate in chemical engineering (BASc 1974). Title of his remarks: "Don't Stop Dreaming".

Heather (Godelie) Westmorland (right) will be UW’s new director of student life, effective November 18. The appointment was announced by Catharine Scott, associate provost (student services), who noted that Westmorland is a UW graduate in human resources management studies and sociology and has a master's degree in Leadership from Royal Roads University. She is currently manager of the Living Learning Programs in the UW residences as well as the manager of desk services there. In the student life office, said Scott, “She joins an excited and eager team of Cora Dupuis, Johnny Trinh and Kris Olafson and several co-op students. Heather replaces another Heather — FitzGerald, who joined St. Jerome’s University as registrar in August after seven years in the Student Life Office. Heather FitzGerald guided the Student Life Office through significant growth and changes to its current integral role in helping students through the transition period from high school to university and through to graduation.”

The UW residences continue to run a photo contest (deadline is November 15) asking for pictures of "your room, your floor, your building, or of anything that you've enjoyed about being in UW Residences". • With the women's soccer season at an end for 2009, forward Tara Chadwick of the Warriors has been named to the second team all-star list by Ontario University Athletics. • Darren Becks, hitherto the director of residences, facility operations and human resources at St. Jerome's University, is now associate vice-president (operations and human resources).

CAR

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