A faltering economy likely will produce layoffs at Baker University.

The private university in Baldwin City is facing a $1 million budget shortfall, and university President Pat Long confirmed Thursday that staff layoffs are one of several options the school is considering.

Long did not want to comment on specific cost-cutting measures prior to a campus forum set for Tuesday. But she “would not deny” that some employees have received layoff notices.

“We are in the same place that a lot of organizations are with this economy,” Long said.

She declined to go into specifics on the number of job cuts that may be in store, but said it would be difficult for the university to continue to function if cuts were more than 7 percent or 8 percent of the staff. The school has about 300 nonfaculty staff members at campuses in Baldwin City, Topeka and the Kansas City area.

Long said any layoffs would not include cuts to full-time faculty.

“We will protect the integrity of the university,” she said.

Susan Lindahl, chief communications officer for Baker, said other cost-cutting options being considered include reduction of travel budgets, a suspension of the university’s contribution to retirement plans, and the creation of a new president-led fundraising effort.

Long said the economy had hurt the university’s endowment and its adult education programs.