UC officials last week reported “strong gains” in the university’s investment portfolio for the fiscal year that ended June 30 — with assets under management growing to $126.1 billion, a one-year jump of $7.4 billion (and a five-year gain of $30 billion).

The UC Office of the President announced the UC Investments data in a news release Sept. 12 in advance of a Board of Regents’ discussion of the results this week. The board is meeting in Los Angeles, today through Thursday (Sept. 17-19).

“When I joined UC in April 2014, our total assets under management were valued at $91.6 billion,” said Jagdeep Singh Bachher, chief investment officer for UC Investments. “Five years later they total $126.1 billion. We’ve added $2.4 billion in value above our benchmarks and saved $1 billion by reducing management costs.”

The news release also included the following data:

• Endowment — It ended the fiscal year at $13.4 billion, up 8.2 percent over the previous year, 10.7 percent over three years, 6.8 percent over five years, 9.4 percent over 10 years, 6.3 percent over 20 years and 9.2 percent over 25 years. Over the past five years the endowment earned $710 million above market gains of $2.9 billion.
• Pension — It ended the fiscal year at $70 billion, up 6 percent over the last year, 9.4 percent over three years, 6 percent over five years, 9.3 percent over 10 years, 5.7 percent over 20 years and 8.7 percent over 25 years. It gained $1.2 billion over market gains of $16.7 billion since 2014.

Retirement chief issues message

UCnet posted a message Monday (Sept. 16) that Gary Schlimgen, executive director of UC Retirement Programs and Services, had shared with UC Retirement Plan beneficiaries at the end of last week, apologizing “for any problems or delays you have experienced getting information about your UC retirement benefits.”

“As you may know, systemwide Human Resources is in the midst of transitioning to a new software system to manage retirement benefits, and a new web portal (UCRAYS) that will allow you to view retirement information, update your personal information and make benefit enrollment elections.

“Unfortunately, these systems changes have presented a number of challenges, resulting in a lack of up-to-date information online and impacting our Retirement Administration Service Center’s (RASC) ability to serve our faculty, staff and retirees.”

Read his entire message, including steps his office is taking to improve service and get customers the help they need as quickly as possible.

Napolitano comments on bond proposal

UC President Janet Napolitano issued the following statement Sept. 14:

The University of California is pleased the recently approved Public Education Facilities Bond will be on the March 2020 ballot and deeply appreciates the $2 billion that the measure allocates to UC, which sets the stage for the biggest capital investment in the university since 2006.

This would be a significant and much-needed investment in the safety and welfare of students in California’s public schools, from preschool through college. For UC, the funding would help modernize our campuses while addressing critical infrastructure needs, including seismic retrofits, and expand our capacity to serve even more California students.

We are immensely grateful to Gov. Newsom, Senate President Pro Tem Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon for their leadership as well as the dedicated public education advocates who helped craft this important legislation.

Now is the time to make a solid investment in our schools, our students and California’s future.

Read about the legislation behind the ballot measure.

Pop-up workshop on depot’s future

The last in a series of three pop-up workshops about the Davis Amtrak Access and Connections Study will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 14) at the Davis Farmers Market, Central Park, Third and C streets.

With this state-funded study, the city seeks to identify long-term opportunities to increase train ridership, improve connections between different types of transportation, and enhance safety at the Amtrak station, commonly known as the Davis Depot.

The city conducted a survey earlier this year, and, during the pop-up workshop, you will have the opportunity to learn how people travel to and use the Davis Depot, and what community members have said they want to see at the station in the future. And, for if you have not weighed in, you’re invited to offer your vision, too.

The study is examining the potential benefits of increased ridership and having more people use the station, including less traffic congestion and fewer auto emissions (as people drive fewer miles), and increased economic activity downtown.

Campus crews assist Cal Fire

Cal Fire called on UC Davis crews to assist on two wildfires earlier this month: the Red Bank Fire southwest of Redding and the Oak Fire near Kelseyville, south of Clear Lake.

The first team, on Brush Truck 34 — Capt. Nathan Potter, engineer Derek Carthy, and firefighters Gerrit Dykzeul and Cara Martinez — took up hose line duty on the Red Bank Fire, ready to stop the flames from crossing a line that had been cut by another crew, Potter said. The team left campus Sept. 6 and returned Sept. 10. Cal Fire contained the blaze at 8,838 acres.

The second team, on Engine 34 — Capt. Kyle Dubs, engineer Ryan Tooley, and firefighters Meggie Elledge and Avery White — responded to the Oak Fire as it threatened multiple structures Sept. 7. Ultimately, Cal Fire reported only one structure lost as crews held the fire to 53 acres and completely extinguished it the next day.

“The fire was pretty much out by the time (the UC Davis crew) got up there,” Potter said. He said they performed some mop-up and returned to campus shortly after midnight.

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