Kansas University will use a hiring freeze and eliminate raises in order to try to avoid furloughs and further layoffs as the state’s budget situation deteriorates, Provost Richard Lariviere said.

“It would be very, very hard to imagine significant salary increases,” he said.

Lariviere was one of four university officials to discuss the budget situation Friday at Alderson Auditorium in the Kansas Union.

KU has laid off workers in 56 positions across its campuses and has left nearly 180 positions vacant, said Theresa Gordzica, KU’s chief financial officer. Furloughs and additional layoffs would be a last resort, Lariviere said.

“We will do what we can to protect the people we have working here,” Lariviere said.

But those cuts might not be enough if the Legislature goes forward with new cuts that it began considering this week. Lariviere said increased revenue could come from higher tuition rates, but whether to increase tuition and how much is a decision made by the Kansas Board of Regents.

Earlier this month, the board affirmed its commitment to a one-year tuition freeze if the budget for higher education wasn’t reduced any further.

New budget projections out last week indicated the state could be as much as $400 million in the red for fiscal year 2010. House and Senate budget committees began considering further cuts to make up that deficit.

The House is considering $29 million in cuts to higher education and the Senate is considering a $20 million reduction.

Kathy Damron, director of state government relations at the university, said she expects the Legislature to vote for higher education cuts between the two proposals and make up the difference by further delaying tax-relief measures.

The university’s budget has been cut by $11.7 million in fiscal year 2009, which ends June 30.

Chancellor Robert Hemenway said the first priority for the school is always its students.

“This is a difficult time in our country’s history,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re still educating students.”

Lariviere referred to the current situation as one of the institution’s “darkest periods,” but said the consequences may be yet to come.

“I worry that we won’t be able to keep the talented people we’ve got here,” he said. “When you don’t have the money to pay for the best people, the university suffers … and the students get cheated.”