Ian Walton

Ian Walton is a retired math educator with an illustrious career spanning over 20 years. Holding a Ph.D. from UC Santa Cruz, Ian's passion for teaching has left an indelible mark on the community college landscape. Ian's inspiration stems from his time as a graduate Teaching Assistant during a one-year Fulbright Scholarship at UC Santa Cruz.

Currently serving as a FACCC Board Member, Ian occupies the "Governor for Retired Faculty" seat and actively contributes to the FACCC Retirement Committee and Policy Committee.

Beyond academia, Ian is an avid outdoors enthusiast with hobbies that include hiking, skiing, and travel. A skilled musician, he enjoys playing the guitar and singing in his free time. If given the chance to master any skill, Ian's choice would be snowboarding, showcasing his adventurous spirit.

Ian Walton's leadership experiences include serving as the President of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC), and lives by a motto encapsulated in a bumper sticker: "Academic Senate - Making the World Safe for Introverts." When asked about time travel, he would revisit his undergraduate years in the 70s, where he attributes his leadership skills to his experiences running an undergraduate dorm at UC Santa Cruz.

The most rewarding aspect of working with community college students, according to Ian, is their genuine appreciation for the transformative power of education. Reflecting on meaningful interactions with students, Ian reminisces about a woman who initially grappled with Intermediate Algebra. She later excelled in his transfer math for Liberal Arts class, ultimately achieving success with both her bachelor's and master's degrees. If he could change one thing in the California community colleges with a snap of his fingers, it would be to make all faculty full-time and all administrators part-time.

Advice from Ian to those  just starting their career as a community college professor:

"Do it because you're having a good time."

If Ian could teach a class on anything, it would be "Depressing Celtic ballads from around the world." And fun fact, he has an impressive knowledge of Volkswagen maintenance, to which he humorously identifies as his most useless skill.