Conservative spending through the academic year should shield Kansas University from major cuts despite an another 3.9 percent decrease in this yearâÂÂs budget, Chancellor Robert Hemenway said Wednesday.

âÂÂI think weâÂÂll be able to get through this latest round of cuts without too much impact on staff and students,â he said.

Tuesday, Gov. Bill Graves announced nearly all state agencies Ãi¿½” including higher education Ãi¿½” would have to cut their budgets an additional 3.9 percent this year to help make up for a $310 shortfall in the stateâÂÂs budget.

KUâÂÂs share of the new cuts will be $5.3 million on its Lawrence campus and $4.1 million at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan.

TuesdayâÂÂs cuts bring KUâÂÂs total budget reduction, compared to last year, to $11.41 million Ãi¿½” or 8.24 percent Ãi¿½” on its Lawrence campus and $7.35 million Ãi¿½” or 7.04 percent Ãi¿½” at the Med Center, according to the Kansas Board of Regents.

Hemenway said that deans and department heads had been bracing for additional cuts throughout the school year and holding back on expenses in such areas as technology, maintenance and travel.

KU also has laid off 44 workers and cut 115 vacant positions to deal with the layoffs. And it has closed the public portion of the Museum of Anthropology and one section of the Kansas Geological Survey.

Hemenway wouldnâÂÂt rule out additional layoffs or program cuts. He said he expected KU to offer fewer sections of classes, leading to larger class sizes.

Leaders at other state universities were sending similar messages.

Kay Schallenkamp, president of Emporia State University, issued a statement saying ESU had held back 3 percent of its budget to prepare for cuts. That should save the university from layoffs or mandatory furloughs, she said.

Jon Wefald, president of Kansas State University, said he was âÂÂdisappointedâ in Gravesâ decision to include universities in TuesdayâÂÂs cuts and said KSU officials were trying to determine how to respond.

Dick Carter, a spokesman for the Kansas Board of Regents, said he expected each university to react differently to the cuts.

âÂÂI think itâÂÂs going to vary institution to institution,â he said. âÂÂIt will result in fewer students served, and it will likely mean program cuts and layoffs. These cuts are going to be felt.âÂÂ

He said lawmakers should use higher education as a solution to the economic recession instead of a place to save money.

âÂÂWhen economic times are bleak, Americans typically turn to higher education to improve their capacity to compete effectively in the marketplace,â Carter said.

âÂÂAs a result, educational institutions often experience increases in enrollment. Kansas is no exception. These cuts will impede our ability to serve these students seeking additional education or training for new careers.âÂÂ