Several departments have begun this process and others will do so in coming weeks.

“There is a legitimate concern about the ability to maintain basic department offerings, and that is why this curricular planning exercise is extremely important,” Summers told the Faculty at this week’s meeting.

Unlike its peer institutions, Harvard has never before required departments to fill out actual forms detailing their course offerings, Knowles said.

Professor of Government and Faculty Council member Jennifer L. Hochschild said she does not anticipate the forms being burdensome, but that planning for the distant future may be difficult.

“I expect that it’s not too hard to anticipate the courses needed for the following year,” Hochschild said. But in the longer term, “curricula change, student interests change, faculty come and go.”

Summers said at the Faculty meeting that the curricular planning exercise will be taken into account in future hiring decisions.

“As we contemplate the growth of the Faculty in the years ahead, those departments who best argue through curricular planning will be better able to argue for growth,” he said.

—Staff writer Kate L. Rakoczy can be reached at rakoczy@fas.harvard.edu.