Meeting Wednesday with about 100 concerned students, faculty and staff, UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley said the amendment makes it unlikely that Wisconsin's legislature will add health insurance benefits for domestic partners.

UW-Madison is the only school in the Big 10 that doesn't offer health insurance coverage for domestic partners -- which puts the university at a competitive disadvantage in recruiting and retaining employees, he said.

Gomez said she started looking for jobs in other states the day after the amendment passed. She said she and her partner entered into a civil union in Vermont in 2000, but now they fear they have no legal rights in Wisconsin.

Dennis Miller, an employee in the Department of Art, told Wiley that his partner resigned his job in the admissions office Tuesday over the issue.

Some employees vowed to lobby state lawmakers for domestic partner benefits despite the overwhelming vote last week for the amendment.