Dear Members,

July 1, 2021 marks a historic moment for pensions in Ontario’s university sector, with the launch of the new University Pension Plan (UPP).

Born from the tremendous collaboration and effort of so many, UPP is the new jointly sponsored, defined benefit pension plan designed to deliver enhanced retirement security to Ontario’s university community.

While you may not be familiar with UPP just yet, our growing team has been hard at work over the past year establishing a solid foundation for a plan that you and future generations can depend on and take pride in.

We want to hear from you

As we move toward ‘day one’ and beyond, we have important choices to make. What values will guide our investment philosophy? How do we define excellence in our member services approach? Your perspective is central to defining who we are and what we will become, and we want to hear from you.

In the coming weeks and months, you will be invited to share your perspectives in several ways:

• Share your voice at one of our May Investment Listening Sessions or our All-Member Information Session. The password to register was emailed directly to all pension plan members. Learn more about these events.
• Visit and offer unlimited feedback through our new dedicated member consultation website.
• Join us this fall for a series of Listening Sessions and Town Halls dedicated to your UPP plan experience.

We hope you will join us for these first of many conversations to come.

The importance of your voice

We’re here to protect your pensions, model member service excellence, set an example in responsible investing and – most importantly – give members a voice in their plan. We believe long-term, sustainable growth depends on action grounded in clear values, and that the strong principles of our University communities will both support the UPP and serve as a signal for decision making.

Continuing the conversation

While our spring engagement sessions focus on gaining your input on our day one foundations, our post-launch engagement program (this fall) focuses specifically on your plan experience under the UPP. Stay tuned for more details and dialogue.

What to expect on July 1st

Whether you’re retired or just starting out, our goal is a seamless transition from your current plan. Retirees will receive the benefits they expect and all members will have the same smooth, familiar service. Despite the unprecedented change around us, our focus remains firmly on you. Rest assured that we’re working diligently for you in the lead up to that first day, and we’ll continue working every day thereafter.

For updates on UPP’s member consultation process and more information on how to get involved, visit MyUPP.ca.

Thank you,

Barbara Zvan                                      Gale Rubenstein

President & CEO                                 Chair, Board of Trustees

University Pension Plan                      University Pension Plan