Shocked that they are letting higher-ups go? Well don't be...you want to cut operational cost then obviously you do away with the people you pay the most and consolidate their job into someone else's. Most of them are just riding the gravy train and waiting to retire at this point. Yea it s---s, but this is how it is.
As far as them letting people go over e-mail, phone, and Webex, does it really matter how you get the news? You wanna feel disrespected or disgusted then feel that way about the fact they didn't think you were worth keeping around...not how they told you.