Budget cuts in the English department resulted in 39 instructors receiving termination letters effective January 2011 if the University does not revoke them.Cuts in the English department will likely result in delayed graduation dates, said English Department Chair Anna Nardo.”Students can’t enter most senior colleges until they have taken English 1001,” Nardo said.All students must take writing courses English 1001 and English 2000 to meet general education requirements, and the University could not accommodate all freshmen needing English 1001 if the cuts were to happen, Nardo said.As a result, a significant amount of students would not be permitted to take English 2000, a sophomore-level course, until their junior or senior year, Nardo said.”The main thing is that these cuts could limit the options of classes that are available to students,” said Erin Cromer, English senior. “Overall, it would have a significant effect on faculty and students who want to take specific English courses.”State-determined budget cuts, not only in the English department, are a complex matter, Nardo said. If the University does not revoke these cuts, the consequences would be disastrous because the University would not be able to meet student needs, she said. Most termination letters must be issued one year in advance, as the University must give notice to instructors in danger of losing their positions, Nardo said.But the University can revoke letters of termination. This method maximizes budget flexibility, Chancellor Michael Martin said in a budget update Friday. He hopes the University will receive more funds than currently expected.”Over the next few months, we will work to narrow our academic focus to ensure we remain committed to excellence even if we will be doing less,” Martin said. “This will mean program eliminations and reductions.”Martin hopes the University-wide cuts will yield budget savings of at least $15 million on a regular basis.Gov. Bobby Jindal will release the 2010-2011 budget Friday. –Contact Sabrina Trahan at [email protected]