YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – The president of Youngtown State University’s faculty union, Mark Vopat, has released a statement saying the union denounces the possibility of cuts to 11 academic programs.

This comes after 26 programs were discontinued last year. Vopat said, “It’s impossible to overstate how much chaos this creates.”

Vopat’s statement also read, in part, “Our courses and programs should be our top priority as a university. Instead, YSU’s administration is taking a hatchet to education while refusing to address administrative bloat and overspending on athletics.”

At the same time, YSU Provost Brien Smith, whose original memo on Monday prompted the discussion about possible cuts, released a second memo to all students stating the list of 11 departments “does not necessarily indicate entire programs or majors will be impacted.”

But Smith added, “If a decision is made to terminate a major, YSU has a commitment to all of its students to provide them with the opportunity to graduate with the courses needed to be successful in their chosen field.”