Budget cuts and crowded classrooms have led the English department to try an innovative pilot program that will allow English 104 students to complete the class in five weeks.

Last spring, the English department was notified of a 3.5 percent budget cut for the fiscal year that began July 1. Department officials decided this was a good time to pilot the new program, which they have been considering for a few years, said Margaret Graham, director of first-year composition.

Under the new class format, students who have a grade of B or higher at the end of the first five or 10 weeks may exit the 16-week course.

“Most of our students take a course similar to 104 in high school and are well prepared,” Graham said. “Typically, we can tell by the first two weeks that there are a certain few that don’t need to be there.”

Once or twice a week, the 13 instructors and the 26 students in each of their classes will attend a large 10 to 20 minute lecture taught by Graham. The students will spend the remaining time in small groups, concentrating on course work.

Students will compile a portfolio at the end of the first five weeks, consisting of essays, drafts, various other works and a self-evaluation. Two instructors will review the portfolio and decide if the student deserves at least a B. Students with a B or above will receive an e-mail telling them they may exit the course with their current grade and three credits, Graham said.

The program will be used for at least a year and will include 28 English 104 classes, she said, but conventional 104 classes still will be offered.

This method will allow more consistency in teaching and evaluation, Graham said, and it creates an alternative to test out and writing placement examinations.

And it makes the class perfect for students like Erica Dutcher, who will take English 104 this semester.

“I scored low on my ACTs, and I have testing anxiety,” said Dutcher, freshman in early childhood education. “The scores don’t reflect my ability, so I think this will really help people out.”

The reduced class sizes after five weeks will allow more one-on-one assistance, said Gene Newgaard, 104 instructor.

“We are going to have much more of a hands-on ability and not focus so much on lecture,” said Newgaard, graduate student in English.

Officials hope this will bring the class numbers down to about 21 students following the first five weeks, said Graham. After five more weeks, the remaining students will be allowed the same option, trimming classes to about 15, Graham said.

“It’s not just a way to save money,” said Graham, “but also a good way to decrease class sizes.