While the University’s top governing board has been worried about the school’s finances for some time, the new initiative to cut costs came from the KSG’s top leadership, the official said.

Nye said that the Kennedy School faculty have been understanding of the need to cut costs.

“They realize that we’re all in this together, and everybody has to pitch in,” he said.

Kennedy School Professor Richard J. Zeckhauser said that cuts would not significantly impact faculty members.

“I think that it will force us to focus our efforts a little bit,” Zeckhauser said.

Many of the measures the school is taking, such as the elimination of the under-utilized Washington office, would probably be prudent with or without a financial crunch, Zeckhauser said.

“You’re not going to hear of people being laid off,” and faculty dinners, “are more likely to be chicken,” he said.

Though most of Harvard’s schools are expecting to report a balanced budget, last year the University’s endowment dropped for the first time in 17 years.

Universities across the country are implementing drastic measures to cope with budget difficulties.

Cornell University recently announced a hiring freeze, and the Massachusetts legislature cut the state’s contribution to the state university system last week.

—Daniel P. Mosteller contributed to the reporting of this story.

—Staff writer David H. Gellis can be reached at gellis@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Catherine E. Shoichet can be reached at shoichet@fas.harvard.edu.