# Universities Academic Pension Plan Universities Academic Pension Plan is a Pension Fund based in Edmonton, Canada. ## Overview - **Organization type:** Pension Fund - **Headquarters:** Edmonton, Canada - **Region:** North America - **Address:** #1850, 10303 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T5J 3N6 - **Founded:** 1978 - **Assets under management:** 7364 (Altss estimate) - **Website:** uapp.ca - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/universities-academic-pension-plan ## Regulatory record - **Reports private funds:** No ## About The Universities Academic Pension Plan was established in 1978 under Alberta legislation to deliver retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. It operates as a jointly-trusteed plan with participating employers that include the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Lethbridge, Athabasca University, and Banff Centre. The plan targets a 5 percent allocation to private equity while holding 10.77 percent in the asset class. It invests through the AIMCo Private Equity Pool, AIMCo Real Estate Pool, AIMCo Infrastructure Pool, and AIMCo Timberland Pool. Confirmed holdings include positions in the Coastal GasLink Pipeline and multiple AIMCo-managed vehicles. Geographic exposure spans Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, and emerging markets in Brazil and Colombia. Assets under management stand at $7.4 billion. The plan employs external managers including PineStone Asset Management, Fiera Capital, Beutel Goodman, Connor Clark & Lunn, Leith Wheeler, and North of South Capital for public equities and fixed income. Chris Schafer was appointed Chief Executive Officer on April 1 2024, succeeding Dave Schnore who retired in March 2024 after twelve years. Nancy Walker serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees. The plan maintains membership in the Pension Investment Association of Canada. The plan is structured as a multi-employer defined-benefit vehicle governed by a board of trustees drawn from participating universities. Investment execution is delegated to AIMCo for alternatives and to a roster of external managers for public markets, creating separation between plan governance and day-to-day portfolio management. ## Sectors - Private Equity - Real Estate - Infrastructure ## People - Chris Schafer — Chief Executive Officer - Nancy Walker — Chair of the Board of Trustees ## Questions ### Who runs investment decisions at Universities Academic Pension Plan? The board of trustees sets policy. Day-to-day management is delegated to AIMCo for alternatives and to external managers including PineStone, Fiera Capital, and Beutel Goodman for public securities. ### Does Universities Academic Pension Plan participate in fund commitments or only direct deals? The plan invests primarily through pooled vehicles managed by AIMCo and external managers. It holds limited-partner positions in the AIMCo Private Equity Pool and AIMCo Infrastructure Pool. ### What investment stages does Universities Academic Pension Plan typically target? The plan maintains a strategic allocation to private equity and infrastructure. It does not publish stage-specific targets beyond its overall 5 percent private-equity policy allocation. ### How is Universities Academic Pension Plan related to its participating universities? The University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Lethbridge, Athabasca University, and Banff Centre act as plan sponsors and participating employers. ### What is Universities Academic Pension Plan's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs? The plan invests through commingled AIMCo pools and external-manager mandates. No direct co-investment program is documented. ## Related profiles - [Bicevida](https://altss.com/profile/bicevida) - [Conrad N. Hilton Foundation](https://altss.com/profile/conrad-n-hilton-foundation) --- Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/universities-academic-pension-plan Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology