CHICAGO _ Gov. Pat Quinn asked all University of Illinois trustees for resignation letters Friday in the wake of a scathing report about the school’s admissions scandal, but at least two members of the appointed body are prepared to ignore his call.

Kenneth Schmidt and James Montgomery pushed back, saying that complying with the governor’s directive would be tantamount to admitting guilt. Both men deny any ethical lapses in connection with revelations that the university gave special consideration to applicants with powerful patrons, including university trustees.

The Illinois Admissions Review Commission recommended Thursday that all trustees offer to step down so the governor can decide who should stay.

In its 45-page report, the blue-ribbon panel blasted the board for leadership failures and for contributing to a university culture “that too easily tolerated undue influence.”

“If I jump to submit a letter of resignation now, it would say I was agreeing with the panel’s recommendations.

I do not agree with all the panel’s recommendations and therefore, I will not do that,” said Schmidt, the longest-serving board member.

The governor would not speculate Friday what would happen if any trustees refused his request. None submitted resignations Friday.

“I hope the remaining trustees see the wisdom of this report … and step aside,” he said.

“Sometimes in life you think about things bigger than yourself.”

Three trustees _ Chairman Niranjan Shah and board members Lawrence Eppley and Edward McMillan _ already offered to step down.

Quinn has accepted Eppley’s and Shah’s resignations, saying the search for their replacements will begin immediately.

McMillan, a Republican who was appointed by Quinn in May, submitted his letter within 15 minutes of the report’s release and is expected to be retained. He was the only trustee on the nine-member board who wasn’t involved in the admissions scandal.

Quinn called McMillan “a very good man” and said he has received the names of “scores” of people interested in serving on the U. of I. board. He hopes to have the new members appointed by the trustee’s next meeting in September, an ambitious timetable by any measure.

The Illinois Constitution says the governor can remove trustees for “incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance.”

“If people refuse to resign, they open themselves up to the possibility of being fired,” said Bernard Judge, who sat on the state panel.

The commission’s recommendation came after an eight-week investigation in which nearly 40 witnesses and more than 9,000 pages of documents outlined how the Urbana-Champaign campus gave preferential treatment to well-connected students.

Quinn appointed the panel after a Chicago Tribune series revealed that more than 800 undergraduate applicants over five years were tagged “Category I,” meaning they received special consideration because of their connections to elected officials, generous donors or university trustees.

Dozens more benefited from undue attention at the law school and other programs.The Tribune has found that trustees meddled in the application process nearly 100 times in the last three years. Some applicants, including trustees’ relatives and friends, were admitted over the objections of admissions staff.

Trustee James Montgomery, for example, is singled out in the report for inquiring about the 2009 rejection of an applicant related to his daughter’s boyfriend.

The denial was not overturned, and Montgomery does not believe he crossed any ethical lines when he asked if it was “too late” for the applicant.

Likewise, Schmidt said he broke no rules when he forwarded the names of six students in the last three years.

One of his relatives also was admitted to the law school after his application was flagged with a directive to handle with “velvet gloves.”

A resignation letter _ even one that was rejected by the governor _ would seem an acknowledgment of impropriety, Montgomery said.

“To me, it would be equivalent to a personal admission of attempting to interfere with the process of admission, and I have not. Therefore, I don’t plan to resign,” Montgomery said. “I enjoy my service as a trustee and plan to continue to do so.”

Trustees Frances Carroll and Robert Vickrey did not return calls. Both have questioned the wisdom of a group resignation.

Trustee James Montgomery, for example, is singled out in the report for inquiring about the 2009 rejection of an applicant related to his daughter’s boyfriend.  

• Stacy St. Clair