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While the collapse of a ceiling at King's College London law school lends itself to a cartoon (Diary, THES , November 23), the underlying funding issues are no laughing matter.

Higher education funding has to address issues such as pay if we are to avert a crisis in staff recruitment and retention. But staff also need suitable working conditions. An injection of capital is needed to support teaching and research in humanities and not just science as per the Joint Infrastructure Fund and Science Research Investment Fund.

The outcome of the spending review is critical for universities. Unless steps are taken to correct enforced neglect of infrastructure, institutions will have to patch and mend piecemeal, more roofs will fall in and more staff and students will not stay.

Arthur Lucas
Principal
King's College London