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I was surprised and delighted to see in your article ¡°Bands of gold: salaries by academic rank¡± (News, 4 September) that, among the group of vice-chancellors and principals, there is at least one person who earns ¡°up to ?20,000 a year¡±. But is this a real person and not some statistical quirk?

If so, out in the real world there must be a heroic figure leading one of our great universities and paying themselves less than they pay their cleaners. You should seek them out and tell their story. I suggest a feature along the lines of your HE & Me column. Suitable questions include: ¡°Have you ever had a eureka moment?¡± (Possible answer: ¡°Yes, when I first realised that everyone loves a bargain, but the bigger the university, the bigger the bargain they need¡±) and ¡°What¡¯s your biggest regret?¡± (Possible answer: ¡°I could have had the Oxford job if only I¡¯d offered to do it for tea and biscuits with the chancellor once a week¡±).

Ben Atkinson
Hertfordshire