CHAMPAIGN -- Gov. Pat Quinn has again delayed taking any action against the two remaining University of Illinois trustees, who have refused to comply with his request that they resign after an admissions scandal.

Quinn's decision drew criticism from one likely political opponent, but some black leaders also called on the governor to let trustees James Montgomery and Frances Carroll, who are black, keep their positions.

The governor had first said he'd move last week to resolve the conflict with Carroll and Montgomery. He later said he'd act Monday. But Quinn told reporters Sunday that he planned to attend a military funeral in Romeoville on Monday and would instead act later in the week.

Quinn's spokeswoman Marlena Jentz characterized those as ``soft deadlines.''

``He hasn't backed down from that,'' she said Monday. ``He expects to take action this week.''

Quinn asked all nine trustees to step down, following the recommendations of the Illinois Admissions Review Commission, which he appointed to examine the effect of political influence on admissions at the university.

News reports this summer revealed that the university tracked politically connected applicants to the campus in Urbana-Champaign through its little-known Category I list, which has since been discontinued. Some people on that list with lackluster academic credentials were admitted to the school.

Seven trustees have offered their resignations, though several have said they would like to be reappointed - a possibility Quinn hasn't ruled out.

Montgomery and Carroll, though, say they won't resign because they've done nothing wrong. Neither returned calls Monday from The Associated Press.

U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, a Chicago Democrat, asked Quinn in a letter on Friday to allow Montgomery and Carroll to stay. Rush argued in particular for Montgomery, whom he said he has known for years.

``He is a man of high honor and high moral character,'' Rush wrote. ``I agree with him in his assertion that should he step down this would be an act tantamount to an admission of guilt.''

Similarly, Democratic gubernatorial candidate William ``Doc'' Walls called on Quinn to change course on Montgomery and Carroll.

Quinn's chief Democratic primary opponent, Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes, blasted the governor for inaction and said he should have had the situation resolved before school started this week.

Jentz referred questions about potential political fallout to Quinn's campaign office, which did not immediately return calls.

Bernard Judge, a member of the commission that examined university admissions, said Monday that he assumed when Quinn asked for resignations that he wouldn't get all of them.

``The trustees are his responsibility and I think he's lived up extremely well to his responsibility.''

So far, Jentz said, 212 people have applied to join the board.