FARMINGTON – University of Maine at Farmington employees are bracing for layoffs expected to be announced Thursday by the administration.

Scott Erb, a political science professor and representative for the Associated Faculties of the Universities of Maine, said the announcement would come after affected workers are notified.

“There are definitely going to be layoffs of different sorts at all levels, including faculty,” Erb said. He was uncertain which workers or how many would be affected.

Meanwhile, Dina Goodwin-Short, the campus representative for the Associated Clerical Office Laboratory and Technical Staff of the Universities of Maine, said UMF President Theodora Kalikow had scheduled a 12:30 p.m. Thursday staff meeting.

Goodwin-Short said she had not been informed of any layoffs for those she represents, which is a customary courtesy extended to labor representatives before layoffs.

She also said she did not know whether that meant workers in her union would not be hit, but she is expecting more information to come on Thursday.

Teamsters shop steward Richard Bragg said he had not been notified of any layoffs in his department and was not aware of Thursday’s employee meeting.

Bragg said that in his 20 years of employment at UMF, he had only been through one layoff, and that was 18 years ago.

In November, University of Maine System Chancellor Richard Pattenaude told trustees during a meeting at UMF that the global economic crisis was adding to financial difficulties for the state’s university system. Pattenaude said the system is looking at $8 million or more in funding cuts in addition to $19.1 million of self-imposed cuts made earlier in 2008.

UMF cut $1 million from its $28 million budget in February by laying off support staff, changing teaching assignments and reducing adjunct teaching staff. Those changes took effect in July.

Last week, UMF announced its Archaeology Research Center would become independent of the university after 25 years of being an on-campus program. That arrangement was also a budget decision, William Geller, vice president for administration, said at the time.

April Mulherin, a spokeswoman for UMF, said Kalikow had scheduled a 3 p.m. Thursday news conference at Ferro House to discuss budget changes. Mulherin said budget information would be discussed then; she declined to comment on possible layoffs.