Statement of Investment Policies and Procedures of St. Francis Xavier University Endowment Funds

Type
Finance
Date Last Reviewed

I. Definitions

“Agent” means a company, an organization, association or individual, as well as its directors, officers and employees, that is retained by either the Board of Governors or the Investment Committee to provide specific services with respect to the administration, investment and management of the Funds

“Benchmark Portfolio” means the asset mix position that represents the long-term investment strategy for the Funds as determined by the Board of Governors and set out in Sections V and VI of this SIP&P.

“Board of Governors” means the Board of Governors of StFX as defined in the StFX Act of Incorporation.

“CFO” means the Chief Financial Officer of StFX.

“Custodian” means the body or firm appointed to act as custodian of the assets of the Funds.

“Fund Manager(s)” means the professional investment management firm(s) appointed by the Investment Committee to manage the investments of the Funds.

“Funds” means the StFX Endowment Funds.

“Investment Committee” means the committee appointed by the Board of Governors to oversee the governance and general operation of the Funds.

“Investment Consultant” means an Agent who provides advice and consulting with regards to the investment of the Funds’ assets, as well as periodic updates on the Funds’ performance, along with quantitative and qualitative assessments of each Fund Manager.

“SIP&P” or “Statement of Investment Policies and Procedures” means this Statement of Investment Policies and Procedures for the Funds.

“Spending Policy” means the policy by which the annual flow of funds from the Funds to the operating budget of StFX is determined, as set out in Section IX of this SIP&P.

“StFX” means St. Francis Xavier University.

II. Purpose Of The Statement Of Investment Policies And Procedures

The Board of Governors has the ultimate responsibility to ensure the Funds are invested in such a way that preserves, protects, grows and provides income to the benefit of StFX. The Board of Governors has adopted this Statement of Investment Policies and Procedures with the goals of:

  • Enunciating the investment philosophy the Board of Governors wishes the Investment Committee and its Fund Manager(s) to follow,
  • Providing guidelines for all parties involved in the investment process,
  • Setting out the objectives and risk tolerances of the Funds,
  • Setting out the investment mandate(s) which will be used to meet the objectives and requirements of the Funds,
  • Setting out the Spending Policy for the Funds,
  • Setting out the basis for measurement and review of the Funds and the Fund Manager(s),
  • Selecting the Investment Committee and ensuring the investment decisions made on behalf of the Board of Governors are in accordance with applicable legislation, the Board of Governors’ bylaws and policies, and the Board of Governors’ strategic objectives.

 

Background Regarding Investment Philosophy and Policy Objectives

In creating its Statement of Investment Policies and Procedures, the Board of Governors recognized that the purpose of the Funds is to provide benefits to the StFX community in line with the objectives of the original donors of these Funds.

In particular, the purpose of the Funds is to fund:

  1. Scholarships & Bursaries (restricted endowment funds & some unrestricted)
  2. Academic Chairs (largely through restricted endowment funds)
  3. Restricted for other purposes (as designated by benefactor)
  4. Unrestricted, but can be made available for operations for the general good of StFX

The Board of Governors believes that investment risks can be reduced by prudent and thoughtful investment management. The Board of Governors further believes that prudent investment management is achieved by investing in a variety of asset classes that are expected to behave differently depending on the economic environment, and by selecting Fund Managers with proper experience and expertise to manage the various asset classes.

In this context, the following general statements of philosophy and objectives will apply:

  • Members of the Board of Governors, the Investment Committee and their Agents shall exercise the care, diligence and skill in the administration and investment of the Funds that a person of ordinary prudence 3 would exercise in dealing with the property of another person. They must act in the best interests of StFX and must not permit their personal interests to conflict with the exercise of their duties and powers.
  • The Funds’ assets will be managed within parameters of safety and prudence using a diversified investment approach which could include Canadian fixed income, Canadian mortgages, Equities (Canadian and foreign equity), and Real Assets (Canadian real estate and Infrastructure). Investments in other types of asset classes and strategies may be included only with prior written approval by the Board of Governors.
  • In the long term, the objectives will be to not only preserve the capital value of the Funds, but also to provide the best possible real return on investments. Over shorter time periods, the objective will be to achieve competitive rates of return on the total fund and on each major asset class while avoiding undue investment risk and excessive market volatility.

III. Responsibilities

The Board of Governors recognizes its responsibility for overall management of the Funds, as well as its ability to delegate certain functional responsibilities to various parties. The following list is intended to be representative of the responsibilities assigned to each party.

The Board of Governors

The Board of Governors will:

  • review and, if necessary, enact proposed changes to this SIP&P on an annual basis, based on the recommendation of the Investment Committee;
  • appoint members to the Investment Committee for set terms;
  • ensure that all activities required for monitoring and managing compliance to the SIP&P are either performed directly by the Board of Governors or delegated to the Investment Committee.

Investment Committee

The Investment Committee will:

  • act as main contact with all service providers for day to day management of the Funds, or delegate such contact to the CFO; 
  • review and, if necessary, propose changes to this SIP&P on an annual basis, where such review may, at the Investment Committee’s discretion, include consultation with the Fund Manager, the Investment Consultant, and others; 
  • provide input to the Board’s Governance & Nominating Committee regarding skills, experience and succession planning of Investment Committee membership; 
  • meet with each Fund Manager at least annually to review their performance relative to objectives, to ensure their continued compliance with this SIP&P, and to discuss any other items with respect to the management of the Funds; 
  • have the authority to appoint sub-committee(s) to conduct in-depth reviews of this SIP&P from time to time, to meet with prospective Fund Managers, to research new developments with respect to Fund investing, or to perform such other tasks as the Investment Committee may delegate; 
  • engage an Agent or Agents from whom the Investment Committee wishes to acquire a service in connection with its management of the Funds, including persons or organizations such as the Fund Manager(s), the Custodian, and the Investment Consultant; 
  • monitor contributions to the Funds;
  • provide direction on rebalancing the Fund as per Section V;
  • assist in the implementation of the SIP&P, including review and implementation of contracts with Agents;
  • perform additional analyses as may be requested by the Board of Governors from time to time.

The Fund Manager(s)

The Fund Manager(s) will:

  • make investment decisions that comply with the content and spirit of this SIP&P and their mandate statement;
  • file a quarterly compliance report in the format directed by the Investment Committee;
  • actively manage the portion of the Funds under their investment mandate in an effort to meet or exceed the objectives set out in this SIP&P;
  • provide such information to the Investment Committee as it may reasonably request from time to time;
  • reconcile their own records with the Custodian, at least monthly;
  • during their regular meetings with the Investment Committee, make presentations on their past performance, their future strategies and any such topics as the Investment Committee may request;
  • inform the Investment Committee of new and different types of investment categories that may become available to the Funds;
  • inform the Investment Committee of developments occurring within the Fund Manager’s firm that may impact the firm’s business, including developments such as the loss or acquisition of key personnel, changes in ownership structure, and rapid growth or decline in assets under management.

The Custodian

The Custodian will:

  • maintain safe custody over the assets of the Funds;
  • provide monthly, quarterly and annual portfolio reports of all assets of the Funds and monthly reports of all transactions during the period for each Fund Manager as well as for the Funds;
  • execute the instructions of the Board of Governors, as delegated to the Investment Committee and to any Fund Manager(s) appointed to manage a portion of the assets of the Funds.

Investment Consultant

The Investment Consultant will:

  • assist in the development and implementation of this SIP&P;
  • participate in the discussions with each Fund Manager, identifying issues that need to be addressed;
  • conduct additional research and analyses as may be requested by the Board of Governors or Investment Committee from time to time (e.g. Value at Risk, Risk Budgeting);
  • assist the Investment Committee in its annual review of this SIP&P;
  • support the Board of Governors and Investment Committee in matters related to the investment management of the Funds;
  • assist the Investment Committee in reviewing the asset allocation and provide rebalancing advice as required;
  • monitor the performance of each Fund Manager and of the consolidated Funds relative to the objectives stated in this SIP&P;
  • report to the Investment Committee on the investment performance and identify key issues (positive and negative) with each Fund Manager; and 
  • perform additional analyses as may be directed by the Board of Governors or Investment Committee from time to time (e.g. portfolio analytics and attribution analysis).

IV. Permissible Asset Classes And Diversification

Subject to the limitations set out in Section V of this SIP&P, the Funds may be invested in any or all of the following asset categories and subcategories of investments either directly or through pooled funds, which hold only investments in these asset categories:

  • Canadian Equities 
  • Foreign Equities 
  • Short Term Securities 
  • Canadian Fixed Income 
  • Canadian Mortgages 
  • Canadian Real Estate 
  • Infrastructure

Other asset classes have been deemed to not be appropriate at this time; however, investment in other asset classes is an issue that can be revisited by the Board of Governors at a future date.

Except for securities issued by the federal or provincial governments, the securities of a single issuer shall not exceed 10% of the market value of the Funds’ assets.

The Fund Manager(s), at their discretion, may utilize either pooled or segregated funds for any of these asset classes or tradable instruments. In the event that a pooled fund is used, the pooled fund guidelines may supersede the requirements of this SIP&P upon the approval of the Investment Committee. The Fund Manager must quantify to the Investment Committee the differences between their guidelines and this SIP&P.

For the purposes of this SIP&P, fixed income ratings referenced are Dominion Bond Rating Service (DBRS) or equivalent credit ratings provided by S&P or Moody’s. If the rating for an issue varies across rating services, the rating rules used by PC Bond Analytics for bonds in the FTSE/TMX Universe shall apply as follows:

  1. If two agencies rate a security, and the ratings are not equal, use the lower of the two ratings.
  2. If three agencies rate a security, use the most common rating.
  3. In the rare event that all three agencies disagree, use the middle rating.

All ratings shall be inclusive of low, mid and high qualifiers or their equivalent within each rating band.

Canadian Equities

Equity investments will be in well-established, readily marketable issues that have been carefully researched and are followed on a continuing basis by the Fund Manager(s). Types of acceptable investments include common stock, income trusts, convertible debentures, share purchase warrants, share purchase rights, or preferred shares of Canadian public companies. Exchange traded funds may also be used.

The Funds and any portion allocated to a Fund Manager must be well diversified across industry sectors and capitalization ranges consistent with the following:

  • The Funds shall not own more than 30% of the voting shares of a corporation.
  • No one equity holding shall represent more than 10% of the market value of the aggregate Canadian equity portfolio.
  • There will be a minimum of 20 stocks in each Canadian equity portfolio.
  • A maximum of 10% of the market value of a Canadian equity portfolio may be invested in companies with a market capitalization of less than $500 million at the time of purchase.

Proper diversification will be maintained across sectors, (i.e., with investments in at least five of the eleven major sectors of the S&P/TSX Composite Index). Purchase of an equity investment in a sector cannot be made if the resulting aggregate equity investment in that sector will exceed the lesser of:

  • the S&P/TSX Composite Index weight for that sector, plus 20 percentage points, and
  • 40% of the total Canadian equity portfolio.

Preferred Shares

Preferred shares are often considered to be a hybrid of bonds and common stocks, but they will be considered as Canadian equity investments within the context of this portfolio and will be included in the overall allocation to the Canadian equity asset class. The following guidelines will apply:

  • The Dominion Bond Rating System (DBRS) should be used to determine the credit quality of the preferred shares; 
  • The maximum weighting in shares with a rating of Pfd-3 or lower is 15% and not exceeding 3% per position; 
  • Investment in any one preferred share may not exceed 10% of the Canadian equity portfolio; 
  • Preferred shares should not exceed more than 20% of the Canadian equity portfolio.

Foreign Equities

In the U.S., all equity will be limited to the New York Stock Exchange, American and NASDAQ stock exchanges. Non-North American stocks will be limited to American depository receipts, Global depository receipts or publicly listed securities on the primary exchange in each country represented. Types of acceptable investments include common stock, convertible debentures, share purchase warrants, share purchase rights, exchange traded funds, or American depository receipts (ADRs) and Global depository receipts (GDRs) of publicly traded non-Canadian companies.

U.S. Equity

The Funds and any portion allocated to a Fund Manager must be well diversified across industry sectors and capitalization ranges consistent with the following:

  • No single equity holding shall represent more than 10% of the market value of the aggregate U.S. equity portfolio.
  • There will be a minimum of 20 stocks in each U.S. equity portfolio.
  • A maximum of 20% of the market value of a U.S. equity portfolio may be invested in companies with a market capitalization of less than $2 billion at the time of purchase.

Proper diversification will be maintained across sectors (i.e., with investments in at least five of the eleven major sectors of the S&P 500 Index). Purchase of an equity investment in a sector cannot be made if the resulting aggregate equity investment in that sector will exceed the lesser of:

  • the S&P 500 Index weight for that group, plus 15 percentage points, and
  • 40% of the total U.S. equity portfolio.

International Equity

The Funds and any portion allocated to a Fund Manager must be well diversified across industry sectors, geographical areas and capitalization ranges consistent with the following:

  • No one equity holding shall represent more than 10% of the market value of the aggregate international equity portfolio.
  • There will be a minimum of 20 stocks in each international equity portfolio.
  • No more than 20% of the market value of an international equity portfolio may be invested in companies with a market capitalization of less than $2 billion at the time of purchase.

Proper diversification will be maintained across industry groups (i.e., with investments in at least five of the eleven major sectors of the MSCI EAFE Index). Purchase of an equity investment in a sector cannot be made if the resulting aggregate equity investment in that sector will exceed the lesser of:

  • the MSCI EAFE Index weight for that group, plus 15 percentage points
  • 40% of the total international equity portfolio.

Global Equity

For a Fund Manager that has both U.S. and international equity portfolios, the restrictions and limitations above should apply. For that manager the U.S. and international equity components on a combined, single global equity fund basis, the restrictions and limitations below apply. The Investment Committee reserves the right to select which fund method will be employed if a Fund Manager has U.S., international and global equity funds.

The Funds and any portion allocated to a Fund Manager must be well diversified across industry sectors, geographical areas and capitalization ranges consistent with the following:

  • No one equity holding shall represent more than 10% of the market value of the aggregate global equity portfolio.
  • There will be a minimum of 20 stocks in each global equity portfolio.
  • No more than 20% of the market value of a global equity portfolio may be invested in companies with a market capitalization of less than $2 billion at the time of purchase.

Proper diversification will be maintained across sectors (i.e., with investments in at least five of the eleven major sectors of the MSCI World Index). Purchase of an equity investment in a sector cannot be made if the resulting aggregate equity investment in that sector will exceed the lesser of:

  • the MSCI World Index weight for that group, plus 15 percentage points.
  • 40% of the total global equity portfolio.

Emerging Markets Equity

The Funds and any portion allocated to a Fund Manager must be well diversified across industry sectors, geographical areas and capitalization ranges consistent with the following:

  • No one equity holding shall represent more than 10% of the market value of the aggregate emerging markets equity portfolio.
  • There will be a minimum of 20 stocks in each emerging markets equity portfolio.
  • No more than 20% of the market value of an emerging markets equity portfolio may be invested in companies with a market capitalization of less than $2 billion at the time of purchase.

Proper diversification will be maintained across industry groups (i.e., with investments in at least five of the eleven major sectors of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index). Purchase of an equity investment in a sector cannot be made if the resulting aggregate equity investment in that sector will exceed the lesser of:

  • the MSCI Emerging Markets Index weight for that group, plus 15 percentage points
  • 40% of the total emerging markets equity portfolio.

While the above denotes the various components of foreign equities, the Investment Committee may choose to implement the foreign equity allocation through one manager that has capabilities in each of the foreign equity markets listed above, through specialist managers in each of the equity markets listed above, or in some combination of broad and specialty management.

Canadian Fixed Income

Canadian fixed income consists of the bonds, mortgages, and short-term securities. The expectation is that the fixed income allocation will be invested primarily in the domestic Canadian market.

Bonds

All bonds shall be classified as federal, provincial or corporate according to the FTSE/TMX Universe classification system for the purpose of the following guidelines.

  1. Government Issues
    • No more than 40% of the total market value of the fixed income portfolio may be invested in issues of a single province;
    • Any foreign government issuers cannot exceed 15% of the Canadian fixed income portfolio.
  2. Corporate Issues
    • Investment in any one corporate issuer may not exceed 10% of the fixed income portfolio;
    • The maximum weighting in BBB corporate issues is 30% of the Canadian fixed income portfolio and not exceeding 3% per position;
    • Corporate issues in total should not exceed 60% for the Canadian fixed income portfolio.
Minimum Quality
  • The minimum average credit quality of the Canadian bond portfolio is to be A.
  • No purchases may be made within the Canadian bond portfolio of issues rated BB or less.
  • Should the quality of an issue be downgraded to a rating of BB or lower, the issue should be sold in an expeditious and orderly fashion.
  • Quality standards for the total Canadian bond component of the Funds shall be as follows:

    Maximum % of Canadian fixed income portfolio
    • Total BB or Lower 0%
    • Total BBB (includes corporate and provincial bonds) 30%

Canadian Mortgages

Canadian mortgages include loans secured against Canadian residential and commercial real property

Mortgages shall be diversified by Canadian regions and type. Eligible types include office, commercial, industrial and multi-unit residential.

Restrictions include:

  • All investments must be made through pooled funds;
  • A maximum of 75% loan to value (LTV) unless insured;
  • First mortgages only; and
  • No more than 5% of the mortgage portfolio and fund be invested in the mortgage of a single property or development.

Short-term Securities

Short-term securities will be limited to those of the highest quality to minimize risk, namely those with a minimum rating of R1.

Canadian Real Estate

Canadian real estate includes equity investments in commercial real property in Canada.

Real estate shall be diversified by Canadian regions and type. Eligible types include office, commercial, industrial and multi-unit residential. It may also include alternative real estate sectors such as storage, seniors housing and student housing.

Restrictions include:

  • All investments must be made through pooled funds;
  • Leverage at the fund level is limited to 50%; and
  • Not more than 10% of the real estate component of each Investment Manager portfolio shall be invested in any one property or development.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure includes debt or equity investments in assets that provide essential services to a community in OECD countries. Examples of such assets include roads, ports, water treatment plants, schools, hospitals, gas distribution facilities and networks.

Infrastructure shall be diversified by geography and sectors. Eligible types include energy transmission and distribution, renewables, communication, utilities, social infrastructure and transport.

Restrictions include:

  • All investments must be made through pooled funds;
  • Leverage at the fund level is limited to 50%; and
  • Not more than 10% of the Infrastructure component of each Investment Manager portfolio shall be invested in any one asset.

Other Investments

No other investment may be included in the portfolio prior to discussion with and approval of the Board of Governors.

Exceptions

When applying the guidelines, it is recognized that there may be occasions during which the policies are not met temporarily for valid investment reasons. It is the responsibility of the Fund Manager(s) to report any violations, to explain the reasons for such violations and to recommend appropriate remedies.

Pooled Funds

The Investment Manager(s), at their discretion, may utilize pooled funds or exchange-traded funds subject to the restrictions noted above, provided this does not violate other requirements of this SIP&P.

V. Benchmark Portfolio And Asset Mix Policy

The Board of Governors has given due consideration to the unique characteristics of the Funds, the Funds’ obligations, liquidity requirements, and tolerance for risk inherent in the Funds’ portfolio. Based on this due consideration, the choice of investments must take into account the following facts:

  • conservation of principal is paramount;
  • intergenerational equity should be preserved;
  • liquidity needs are predictable;
  • the investment horizon is relatively long.

The Board of Governors has selected the following long term asset mix policy based on their past practice and future expectations. It will be referred to as the Benchmark Portfolio.

Asset Class Target (%) Range (%)
Short Term 0 0 to 15
Equities    
Canadian Equity 35 25 to 45

Foreign Equity

- US equity

- International equity

- Emerging markets equity

40

20

15

5

30 to 50

15 to 25

10 to 20

0 to 10
Real Assets    
Canadian Real Estate 5 0 to 10
Infrastructure 5 0 to 10
Fixed Income    
Canadian Bonds 10 5 to 20
Canadian Mortgages 5 0 to 10

The Investment Committee or its designate will review the asset mix no less frequently than semi-annually to ensure it remains within the minimum and maximum ranges as outlined in the table above. Rebalancing should occur when these ranges are breached; however, there may be circumstances when rebalancing may not be in the best interests of the Fund, in which case, the Investment Committee may elect not to do so until market conditions change.

VI. Performance Objectives

The total rate of return achieved by the Funds can be separated into the return contributed by following the Benchmark Portfolio, and the additional return contributed by the actions of the Fund Manager(s).

Benchmark Portfolio Return

plus

Additional return achieved through active management by the Fund Manager(s)

equals

Total Fund Return

While the total return of the Funds is one of the most important contributors to the level of benefits ultimately provided by the Funds, for purposes of this SIP&P, it is important to distinguish the components of this total return.

Performance Objectives For The Benchmark Portfolio

The following performance objectives have been established for the Benchmark Portfolio:

  • to achieve, with a high degree of consistency, a rate of return at least equal to the rate of inflation over both short and long time periods;
  • to achieve with reasonable consistency, a real rate of return of at least 2.75% after expenses and a nominal return of 5.00% after expenses, as calculated on an annualized basis over moving 4-year time periods.

The rate of return on the Benchmark Portfolio will be calculated by multiplying the rates of return on each underlying asset class by the proportion of that asset class represented in the Benchmark Portfolio. The rates of return on each asset class will be represented by the rate of return on an index deemed to be indicative of that asset class’s performance. The appropriate indices are as follows:

Asset Class Index
Short Term FTSE TMX 91-Day T-Bills Index
Canadian Equity S&P/TSX Composite Total Return Index
US Equity S&P 500 Total Return Index (CAD)
International Equity MSCI EAFE Net Return Index (CAD)
Global Equity MSCI World Net Return Index (CAD)
Emerging Markets Equity MSCI Emerging Markets Index (CAD)
Canadian Fixed Income FTSE TMX Canada Universe Bond Index
Canadian Mortgages FTSE TMX Canada Universe Bond Index
Canadian Real Estate REALPAC/IPD Property Fund Index
Infrastructure CPI + 5%

Investment Objectives For The Fund Manager(s) 

The Fund Manager(s) will be permitted to employ sector allocation and security selection techniques in an effort to increase the Fund's return relative to the applicable Benchmark Portfolio.

Fund Manager Objectives

Fund Manager performance will be deemed satisfactory if the return on the Funds meets the following objectives:

(a) exceeds the applicable Benchmark Portfolio return by the target added value by asset class as shown in the following table, after payment of investment management fees and transaction costs, as measured over four year moving average time periods;

Asset Class Index
Short Term 0.00%
Canadian Equity 1.00%
US Equity 0.50%
International Equity 1.50%
Global Equity 1.50%
Emerging Markets 1.50%
Canadian Fixed Income 0.20%
Canadian Mortgages 0.50%
Canadian Real Estate 0.50%
Infrastructure n/a

(b) is above the median manager return when measured against other similar funds in the appropriate pooled fund universe, as measured over four year moving average time periods.

Such a result is obtained while maintaining a reasonably liquid and well diversified portfolio with a risk equal to or less than that implicit in the target asset mix and indices.

Aside from performance, the following elements will also be taken into account in the evaluation of a Fund Manager:

  • conformity to the provisions of this SIP&P;
  • consistency with philosophy and management style advocated by the Fund Manager;
  • continuity of personnel within the firm;
  • communications with the Investment Committee and its agents.

VII. Reporting Requirements

The Fund Manager(s) must meet with the Investment Committee at least annually and should provide a written report to the Investment Committee quarterly. Prior to each meeting, a Fund Manager has primary responsibility of confirming date, timing, location, and Fund Manager attendees.

The report should identify the following:

  • The investment objectives;
  • The performance of the portfolio and benchmarks for the Fund Manager’s mandate(s);
  • A brief review of the current portfolio structure;
  • The rates of return obtained (gross and net of fees) and the sources of added value over the past period;
  • The economic outlook and factors which could alter the outlook;
  • The Fund Manager’s evaluation of the portfolio’s opportunity set;
  • The anticipated portfolio structure for the upcoming period.

At each meeting the Fund Manager(s) shall be prepared to discuss the following topics:

  • Compliance with the SIP&P;
  • A review of the firm including changes in personnel, client growth or decline, asset growth or decline, etc.;
  • The time weighted rate of return, including investment income and realized and unrealized capital appreciation and depreciation for the most recent quarter and for the one, two, three, four, and five-year periods ending with the most recent quarter;
  • A comparison of the value of the portfolio since the previous quarter or meeting and the end of the previous year;
  • A review of the transactions undertaken during the most recent quarter;
  • An economic review and capital market forecast;
  • Inform the Investment Committee of any new investment opportunities / asset classes and how they might assist the achievement of the Funds’ objectives.

An Equity Fund Manager is required annually to supply a report summarizing proxy-voting activities. The proxy-voting report shall include:

  • Name of security
  • Proxy proposal
  • Number of shares voted
  • Voting recommendation of security issuer’s directors
  • Fund Manager vote (for or against)
  • Fund Manager vote description/explanation
  • Voting record date
  • Security issuer meeting date at which proxy voting results reported

VIII. Legislation, Regulations And Other Requirements

The following legislative and other requirements are specifically addressed.

The Funds will not be invested, directly or indirectly, in any investment that exceeds the following quantitative limits:

  • no more than 10% of the market value of the Funds may be invested in any person, associated persons or affiliated corporations; and
  • the Funds may not be invested in the securities of any corporation to which are attached more than 30% of the votes to elect the directors of the corporation.

Prohibited Investments

The Funds shall not be invested, directly or indirectly, in a share of, an interest in, or a debt of:

  • StFX, including any member of the Board of Governors or the Investment Committee;
  • an officer or employee of StFX;
  • a Fund Manager or the Custodian, or an officer, director or employee of same;
  • an association or union representing StFX staff, or an officer or employee of such association or union;
  • the spouse, common-law partner or child of any person referenced above;
  • a corporation wholly owned or directly or indirectly controlled by any member of the Board of Governors;
  • a corporation that is an affiliate of StFX.

The above guidelines hold unless approval from the Board of Governors is requested and granted.

Conflict of Interest

Agents shall not knowingly permit their interests to conflict with their duties and powers with respect to the Funds. They are required to disclose in writing the nature and, where possible, the value of all actual or perceived conflicts of interest before any advice is rendered or any decision is made, to the persons in charge of the investment of the Funds. No Agent shall participate in discussions on a matter in relation to which they have disclosed an actual or apparent conflict of interest.

A conflict of interest is defined as any personal stake, interest, or relationship, which has the potential to compromise a person’s ability to maintain impartiality and objectivity in assessment of facts, decision-making, or recommendation on any issue. This stake, interest, or relationship may exist, or merely appear to exist.

Securities Lending

Securities lending, under which the Funds lend securities to a borrower who delivers collateral in an acceptable form and amount, is authorized in order to secure added income for the Funds. Unless provided otherwise, all such transactions are managed by the Custodian according to a securities lending agreement with the Board of Governors. The collateral must take the form of Canada Government bonds or similarly highly rated bank debt having a market value of at least 105% of the loan and maintained no less frequently than weekly. Money market funds are not to be used as collateral. It is noted that the pooled fund policies of a Fund Manager may allow a lower collateral percentage (102%).

Shareholder Voting Rights

In general, the Fund Manager(s) have the right but not the obligation to exercise the voting rights as noted in Section VII. In case of doubt concerning the best interests of StFX, the Fund Manager(s) shall request instructions from the Investment Committee and act in accordance with such instructions. The Investment Committee may demand to exercise a voting right by communicating their intention to the Fund Manager(s) within a reasonable period.

Valuation of Securities Not Regularly Traded

It is expected that equity and fixed income securities held in the Funds will have an active market and therefore valuation of the securities held in the Funds will be based on the securities’ market values, as determined by the Custodian.

If a security held in the Funds does not have an active market, then it will be valued at least annually by the Funds’ Custodian or such other appraiser as the Investment Committee may choose to nominate.

It is noted that valuation processes for real assets and mortgages differ from publicly listed securities. The following valuation processes will be applied for these asset classes:

  • Mortgages: unless in arrears, the outstanding principal plus / minus the premium / discount resulting from the differential between the face rate and the currently available rate for a mortgage of similar quality and term, determined at least every six months.
  • Real Estate: A certified written appraisal from a qualified independent appraiser every year.
  • Infrastructure: Audited financial statements prepared by an independent valuation agent every year.

IX. Spending Policy

StFX is the recipient of generous endowment gifts to provide perpetual support to the University.

The original investment of endowment gifts is required to be maintained in perpetuity. The investment earnings generated from endowments must be used in accordance with the terms established by the donors. Benefactors as well as StFX policy stipulate that, over time, the economic value must be protected by limiting the amount of earnings that may be expended and reinvesting unexpended earnings.

To meet the foregoing requirement, StFX’s Spending Policy sets out the following goals:

  • to balance present spending needs with expected future requirements;
  • to protect the purchasing power of the capital base of endowments while achieving stability in year-to-year spending; and
  • to attain real increases in spending through capital appreciation from new gifts, capital investment gains, and the capitalization of investment earnings.

Therefore the Spending Policy sets guidelines that preserve real capital value and provide advance information on available annual spending allocation amounts to accommodate planning for full utilization. For new endowments, it is important both to provide attainable spending expectations in the early years while ensuring that the capital base has solid footing and will be able to sustain future spending.

Endowment Spending Guidelines

  1. The annual StFX endowment spending limit shall be the greater of 4% of the average market value of the Funds for the three-year period ending December 31st of the previous year and $4.0 million.
    1. This spending rate should be reviewed by the Board of Governors on an annual basis and should take into consideration the following factors:
      • The purpose of the Funds
      • The duration and preservation of the Funds
      • General economic conditions
      • The effect of inflation or deflation
      • Expected total return from income and the appreciation of investments
    2. The spending amount will be allocated to individual endowment accounts on a prorated basis based on the market value of the accounts as at December 31.
    3. New endowment gifts received between April 1st and December 31st , will participate in the spending allocation set out in item ii above.
    4. For new endowment gifts received between January 1st and March 31st, spending will be delayed until the second subsequent fiscal year (year 2).
    5. Should the market value of new endowment gifts or new gifts to existing endowments fall below the original gift value prior to its initial spending allotment, then spending will be suspended to prevent any additional erosion of the gifted capital. During this period, all investment returns will be capitalized to restore the market value of the endowment’s capital.
    6. Once the yearly spending allocation has been set, the excess investment returns earned the previous year above the current year’s spending allocation will be distributed. These investment returns include interest and dividend income as well as realized and unrealized capital gains and losses and will be net of fees, expenses and any administrative charge(s) approved by the Board of Governors. The excess will be distributed on a prorated basis based on the market value of the individual endowment accounts as at December 31.
  2. On occasion, the above annual spending allotment determinations for new endowments may not meet the immediate objectives of the donor. In these instances, the following options are available to the donor:
    1. Should the donor wish greater immediate annual spending than what is provided by spending allotments of the new endowment, the donor may donate additional gifts to supplement the annual spending allotments until the endowment appreciates sufficiently to sustain the donor’s annual spending objective.
    2. The donor may specify deferral of spending until the endowment appreciates sufficiently to support the donor’s annual spending allotment objective.
  3. Occasionally, StFX may be unable to spend their allotted spending amount due to such circumstances as a lack of qualified candidates for scholarships or Chair vacancies. As a result, an unspent balance is created and may be deployed using one of the following options:
    1. Development of a plan to spend the unspent balance in accordance with the endowment’s terms over the subsequent years. Care should be taken to avoid significant variations in year-to-year spending.
    2. Capitalize the unspent balance to the principal capital of the endowment. This will provide the endowment with a larger and more stable capital base that will generate increased spending amounts in future years.
    3. A combination of (i) and (ii).

StFX shall review the endowment accounts for unspent balances each year during the budget process.

X. SIGNATURES

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