LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Emotions ran high Friday as the University of Nebraska Board of Regents held open comments on proposed budget cuts totaling more than $27 million, with professors, staff and students from affected departments voicing their concerns.

The public hearing drew passionate testimony from university community members who questioned the transparency of the process and expressed concerns about the impact on academic programs and the state’s identity.

“Leadership has cracked down the hammer of solitary decision-making,” said Dr. Crystal Garcia, professor in the Department of Educational Administration, later adding this has led to a “climate of chaos, academic dysfunction and low morale.”

Robert Szot, a master’s student in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, connected the cuts

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