Disloyalty to Oxford

The Master of Pembroke College, Oxford's remarks to the American Association of University Administrators meeting ("Oxford slips in world league for a fee", THES, March ) beggared belief.

They were muddled as far as his own university was concerned and unhelpful, indeed disloyal, to the rest of us working hard to promote the qualities of United Kingdom higher education abroad.

Robert Stevens believes that because money will in future go to his university rather than to its colleges "research will have gained priority over college teaching". Yet, puzzlingly, Oxford will then become "a second-division research university". However, all is not lost, for although Oxford will no longer be "playing in the world league" it will nevertheless still remain "the best of England's universities". Thanks Robert.

Vaughan Grylls. Director. Kent Institute of Art and Design