Exiting gladly

I am ready to retire at 65 at the end of this academic year. I am gasping for the moment. There are now half as many full-time members of staff in my subject area than there were six years ago with at least a third more students. We no longer have time for innovative work ("Experience counts for little...", THES , November, 22), let alone research. The increasing administrative and pastoral responsibilities make teaching of, and mutual learning with, students impossible.

Bob Bennett
Coventry University