A lecturers' union has confirmed 31 compulsory staff cuts will be made within one university department.
The University of East Anglia (UEA) is facing a multimillion-pound deficit and wants to reduce staff by 113, in addition to those leaving voluntarily.
The University and College Union said 31 of 36 cuts at the university's faculties would fall on Arts and Humanities.
The UEA said all subject areas at the department would be "maintained".
They include the university's hugely successful creative writing course.
The president of the UEA branch of the union, Mark Walmsley, said management should be considering other options, including spreading savings required over two academic years.
"There is a way out of this financial crisis that has been created at UEA that doesn't require compulsory redundancies," said Mr Walmsley.
