John C. Cavanaugh, 54, who has run the Florida school since 2002 and at one time was an administrator at the University of Delaware, will start as chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education on July 1.

The job includes helping the system's board of governors set policies for the universities, which enroll more than 110,000 students. It also entails helping the board evaluate the 14 university presidents, and setting goals for both the presidents and the system, which counts Cheyney and West Chester Universities among its schools. The operating budget for the entire state system is $1.4 billion, which includes budgets for all 14 universities.

He becomes the state system's third chancellor in its 25-year history, replacing Judy G. Hample, who served for seven years. Hample has been named president of the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va.

Salary and contract terms are still being negotiated, officials said.

"I won't come in and say I have a big agenda," Cavanaugh said in a telephone interview. "My first goal is to talk to and listen to as many different constituency groups as possible, taking a look at what's being done and how the system got from point A to point B."

The state system's board of governors conducted a nationwide search, narrowing its selection to three finalists who were interviewed by students, faculty and trustees. The other finalists were Jack Warner, commissioner of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education, and Richard Wells, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Wells withdrew from the search last week.

Cavanaugh grew up in Delaware and has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Delaware, and a master's and doctorate in psychology from the University of Notre Dame. He has a brother, Kevin Cavanaugh, and sister-in-law, Beth Gallis, who live in Drexel Hill. She is a teacher at Philadelphia's Central High School.

In his job at the 10,500-student University of West Florida, Cavanaugh developed partnerships with regional community colleges and developed the university's budget and financial-control systems. Cavanaugh previously served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington for three years. He held various positions at the University of Delaware and started his academic career as an adjunct instructor of psychology at Indiana University at South Bend.

Aligning K-12 education with teacher-preparation programs was a focus in his previous job, and he expects it will be again in the state-system post.

"We need to hear back from our graduates, how well prepared are they and what's really going on out there," he said.

Other state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg and Slippery Rock. The state system also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney, and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.