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History lecturer Rowena Archer has not been made redundant as you report ("Hard-up Oxford college axes history", THES, August 29), but has elected to take a voluntary redundancy package.

Nor does axeing history mean that mature students will be unable to study the subject at Oxford. All Oxford colleges can take mature students (and some indeed do). Harris Manchester is unique only in that it is obliged to take students over 21.

I see no reason why good mature history applicants will not be snapped up by other colleges.

Lesley Smith Harris
Manchester College, Oxford