University President Lawrence H. Summers has appointed a 13-member Faculty committee to advise him in the search for a new Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, he announced yesterday in an e-mail sent to all Faculty, students, and staff.

The formation of the committee represents the beginning of the process to find a successor for current Dean Jeremy R. Knowles, who announced three weeks ago that he planned to step down in July after 11 years in office.

The committee includes five department chairs as well as the directors of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and the University Library, Jorge I. Dominguez and Sidney H. Verba ’53, respectively.

Committee members said they did not know whether being appointed excluded them from consideration for the deanship.

According to committee member Daniel L. Schacter, chair of the psychology department, the committee will meet several times this spring and will focus “more on priorities and the qualities of a dean rather than targeting individuals, although there is no doubt individuals will be mentioned as well.”

Many professors and administrators have speculated that the next dean will be a humanist, to ensure academic balance in an administration led by Summers, an economist, and Provost Steven E. Hyman, a neuroscientist. But committee members said the search is wide-open, looking for well-roundedness and leadership qualities across disciplines.

“It would be a mistake at this point to narrow it down by discipline,” said committee member and sociology chair Mary C. Waters. “Dean Knowles knows more about many areas of the humanities than many people, despite their formal expertise. You would want someone who has an appreciation, understanding, knowledge of all three areas, but I wouldn’t say for sure you would need to balance it out by discipline.”

Committee member Henry Louis Gates, Jr. was not available for comment yesterday, but the Afro-American studies chair said on the day of Knowles’ resignation that he hoped the next dean would recognize “the importance of diversity in academic programs” and that members of the department would ensure that the issue received priority.

In addition to announcing the committee, Summers also used the e-mail to solicit advice on the search from all members of the community.

“I would greatly value your advice on the particular opportunities and challenges facing the FAS in the time ahead, and what they imply for the priorities the Faculty and its next Dean should most wish to pursue,” Summers wrote.

“I also encourage you to convey your thoughts about the qualities most important to seek in the next Dean, and about any individuals you believe should receive serious consideration for the position,” he wrote.

The committee has no formal authority in selecting the dean, which is a presidential appointment.

While it is expected that a successor will be chosen by July, Knowles has said he will remain in his position until a new dean is named.

—Staff writer Dan K. Rosenheck can be reached at rosenhec@fas.harvard.edu.