University of Wisconsin Chancellor John Wiley urged UW faculty to join efforts to pass the much-stalemated state budget Monday.

While the Legislature fails to pass a state budget, Wiley said UW continues to spend money it "doesn't have," and added the institution could be in debt up to $36 million by the end of the year.

With a three-month delay, Wisconsin remains the only state that has continually failed to reach an agreement on a biennial budget.

"As of this afternoon, we still don't have a compromise," Wiley said.

During the Faculty Senate meeting Monday, Wiley thanked newspapers and alumni who have written editorials and letters in support of the version of the budget proposed by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle.

"The governor submitted a budget that was probably the best we've had in at least six years," Wiley said.

That budget, Wiley added, would pay for the increasing costs of salaries, medical benefits and utilities used by faculty, as well as an additional $10 million systemwide for recruiting and retention of faculty.

Jack O'Meara, legislative representative of the Faculty Senate, said the university has been sending e-mails encouraging citizens to talk to their legislators and demand an agreement on the budget.

"If you haven't already done so, please do," O'Meara said. "It really helps."

Wiley said he encouraged deans of each UW school to send their legislators letters explaining the specific consequences of not having a budget.

Wiley added the university has already started to admit incoming freshmen for fall 2008. By December, Wiley said, UW will have admitted at least half of next year's incoming class, and by February more than 80 percent of the incoming freshmen.

"We'll have to make a decision soon on whether we'll have to slow down admissions," Wiley said. "If we can't replace [professors] who retire, no way we can handle 5,800 new freshmen."

State Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, however, said UW is clearly playing partisan political games with the budget.

"It's highly disappointing — it's a sad display of partisanship by the UW System and, frankly, it's ruining the reputation of the UW System administrators because no one believes that they are even remotely nonpartisan anymore," Suder said. "They have chosen sides, and certainly individual taxpayers statewide aren't buying what they're selling."

Suder said the Senate and Assembly continue to meet and discuss the budget in efforts to reach an agreement, though he said the Republican-controlled Assembly will not provide the substantial increase in funding UW administrators are hoping to have.

"We are not going to accept the tax increases that UW is supporting, and that the state Senate continues to insist upon," Suder said. "Unfortunately, they continue to try to spin the issue to get more money, and that's really just a sad display of partisan political maneuvering that isn't working."

Suder said the Assembly version of the budget would increase funding for the university by 3 percent, a nearly $62 million increase compared to UW's current budget.