The current pandemic has caused many businesses to revaluate and restructure.

Great Plains College has seen staffing and workload reductions taking place as part of the operational downsizing at their Swift Current, Bigger and Whitecap Dakota First Nation's campuses.

David Keast, president and CEO of Great Plains College, details the downsizing process:

"Downsizing would be the process of looking at ancillary services first rather than going to our core business programs and instructional staff as best as we can and picking out things we can use to control a deficit budget under Covid-19 circumstances."

With regards to layoffs Keast says there have been a couple of full-time layoffs across the college system. However, most staffing reductions were position or workload reductions. Some staff who had a 1.0 job or full-time equivalent moved to a .6, or a .6 or half time job moved to a .3. The college did the best they could to maintain staff positions but numbers are reduced in workload.

Along with staffing changes the operational downsizing also saw the suspension of the Sundogs athletic program for the 2020-21 season which Keast says is a great loss.

"The suspension of the Sundogs athletic program is a very unfortunate part of this because of the legacy that (it) has here in Swift Current and, its connection to the community and its history with the junior Sundogs."

Overall, Keast says it was an unfortunate piece of news all around which right at the moment can not be helped but they will continue to look for ways to resurrect the program maybe even for the 2021-22 year.

Great Plains College saw the loss of 6 full-time positions due to staff reductions and layoffs, while Saskatchewan Polytechnic, unfortunately, laid off 93 staff.

In addition, Keast adds that the college does not make the decision lightly to reduce staff workload or layoff positions and as soon as there is some economic recovery and the college gets a more firm footing with its deficit's and surpluses they will be looking to ramp up positions as much as possible.

The college is hoping for a strong reopening in Fall 2020 with a full complement of programming.