VIDEO: While OC celebrates some big projects, behind the scenes people are losing their jobs

College executives and the mayor were all smiles as work got underway on a much-needed gym and fitness centre, but behind the scenes, smiles have been in short supply.

"It's a tough time," admits Okanagan College Vice President of Enrollment, Jenn Goodwin.

With a reduction in the number of foreign students enrolling at Okanagan College, the institution is facing an $8 million shortfall.

So the plan is to reduce the number of faculty and instructors by 35.

"In February, that was the number of positions we were thinking would be potentially impacted," said Goodwin.

Since then, through early retirement and strategies, the college has brought that number down.

"Now, we're looking at a number that's closer to 20," she said.

The union representing faculty at the college said people are devastated.

"People were crying in meetings. I have been here 30 years," said Okanagan College Faculty Association President Sharon Mansiere. "I have never heard of people crying in meetings."

And Mansiere said the College Administration has been violating the rules set out in their collective agreement.

"They're going to use a method that has never been bargained," she said. "They're going to follow their own path on how to right-size the institution."

And she argues that letting faculty go now will just create problems when enrollment bounces back.

"We need our people," she said.

Goodwin disagrees that the college is violating the collective agreement, but she is not downplaying the impact of the downsizing.

"I think we all recognize the challenges and the difficulties that we're facing," said Goodwin, "and I wouldn't sugar coat that."

The college is still looking at options other than simply handing people layoff notices to further reduce the payroll.

"Whether it's for job sharing or other types of voluntary exits," said Goodwin, "those opportunities are still being explored."

It means some tough decisions over the next days, weeks and months, and it may be as long as a year before it's all resolved.