Corning, NY (WENY) -- The teachers union for Corning Community College held a rally, outside the Health Education Center in downtown Corning, while at the same time, the school's board of trustees held their monthly meeting.

The scene outside CCC's Health Education Building featured over two dozen combined professors and community members rallying against cuts slated to be made by the administration.

The rally follows an announcement from the school in December, saying that they were letting go of around a half dozen teachers and cutting around a dozen programs.

CCC teachers and community members could be heard chanting and holding up signs. The idea behind the rally was a show of opposition to some of the moves made by CCC's administration. Ryan Hersha, the teachers union president said, the support was overwhelming.

“Faculty were here, members of the community, supporters of the community college, in general, were here to voice their concerns about the cuts that were announced,” said Hersha.

In their announcement, CCC said classes that would be cut include Early Childhood Studies and Manufacturing Technology among others. Hersha said the rally was to ask the board to make sure students and the community are involved, in making these types of decisions.

“We're also asking them to ask really hard questions about why the administration is violating the contract by refusing to seek alternatives to terminations for faculty,” said Hersha.

Dr. William Mullaney, CCC's President said a lot goes into deciding what programs to cut and what professors to let go.

“Not only looking at enrollment but looking at job opportunities after graduation, looking at potential wage earnings, looking at currency of curriculum. So it's a very involved process,” said D. Mullaney.

When asked what Hersha hoped the trustees would take away from the rally, just outside of their meet, he had this to say.

“We're asking the board of trustees to really demonstrate leadership and stewardship of the college by intervening into this crisis situation,” said Hersha.

Just before the board of trustees meeting, CCC released a statement saying in part that they have a responsibility to provide economic development, also, that they must exercise the flexibility to develop cutting-edge programs leading to livable-wage jobs.

“It's not something we just invented. this particular review of the course content was a 16-month process,” said Carl Blowers, the Board of Trustees Chairman.

Mullaney went on to say the school, the trustees and faculty are working together to try and get things back to businesses as usual once the cuts take effect.