The chancellor of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville has been accused of plagiarizing parts of a speech from, among other sources, remarks by President Bush.

In a written statement issued on Wednesday, the chancellor, Vaughn Vandegrift, said he "relies heavily on his staff" to write his speeches. "I approved the speech, and I take full responsibility for its content," the statement said. "If mistakes were made, we will take steps so that it doesn't happen in the future."

The chancellor delivered the speech in February at a luncheon celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. In the speech, Mr. Vandegrift said the following: "For generations, African-Americans have strengthened our nation by urging reforms, overcoming obstacles, breaking down barriers, rising above injustice, and enriching our society."

That language is nearly identical to a passage in a 2003 speech by President Bush: "For generations, African-Americans have strengthened our nation by urging reforms, overcoming obstacles, and breaking down barriers. We see the greatness of America in those who have risen above injustice and enriched our society."

Another 19-word passage in Mr. Vandegrift's talk appears to have come almost verbatim from the Web site of the King Center, in Atlanta.

The similarities were found by a sister of Chris Dussold, a former professor at Southern Illinois at Edwardsville who was fired for plagiarizing his teaching statement. Mr. Dussold believes he was unfairly dismissed, and he and his supporters have worked to uncover other examples of plagiarism at the university. "All of my friends and family, time permitting, start searching for plagiarism," Mr. Dussold said on Wednesday.

And they have found a number of examples, from both professors and administrators. In many of the cases, like the chancellor's, the copying has been only a few sentences. But Mr. Dussold argues that if he was fired for copying a teaching statement used only as part of his tenure review, then others should also be dismissed for similar borrowings.

"If mistakes were made, I think their policy is they fire the person immediately," said Mr. Dussold, who is now an assistant professor of accounting, economics, and finance at nearby McKendree College. "If you're going to consider what I did to be plagiarism, I want equal treatment."

Mr. Dussold has also pointed out that Mr. Vandegrift's 150-word online welcome statement -- titled "From the Chancellor" -- is identical to that of the previous chancellor. A spokesman for the university, Greg Conroy, said he had written the statement and that there was nothing wrong with reusing it because it is "university property."

Mr. Dussold also brought to light passages that had been plagiarized in a 2005 speech by Walter V. Wendler, chancellor of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Like Mr. Vandegrift, Mr. Wendler said those passages had been included by a member of his staff.

Mr. Dussold, who was dismissed in 2004, is suing the university and plans to cite such examples as proof of unfair treatment.