Howard University in Washington D.C. is cutting 200 staff positions in the next several months, reducing the school's workforce by 4 percent, The Washington Post reported.

Howard spokeswoman Kerry-Ann Hamilton told The Washington Post no faculty positions are being cut.. She said the cuts will begin Thursday.

"This is an ongoing effort as the university carefully implements our strategic plan to address quality and efficiency including workforce realignment, streamlining procurement processes and seeking partners to support our non-core functions," university officials said in a statement.

Hamilton described the cuts as "enterprise-wide." It is not known what positions will be cut and how many layoffs might result.

Howard University serves 10,297 students and also operates a teaching hospital in Northwest Washington. The historically black college, which has 5,474 employees, including the hospital's staff, has faced several fiscal challenges during the past few years.

WAMU (88.5 FM) reported Jan. 24 that some university maintenance workers staged a rally to protest outsourcing and save their jobs.

Hamilton said the university "worked carefully to ensure no changes in public safety" and to "preserve services in student-facing and clinical areas."

"The university continues to pursue comprehensive strategies to enhance and achieve operational efficiencies as we provide excellent educational, research and clinical environments," she said. "This includes difficult but necessary actions as we realign and re-engineer our workforce at the university and the hospital."