Re: Physicists teaching astronomy

["John S. Denker" <jsd@MONMOUTH.COM>]

Rick Swanson wrote:
> I am looking for information about having a teacher with a master's
> degrees in physics teach an introductory freshman-level college
> astronomy course.
>
> Is this acceptable from an accrediting body's perspective?
>
> Can anyone provide a credible source supporting this?

You could get it from the horse's mouth, e.g.
  WASC Handbook of Accreditation 2001
  http://www.wascweb.org/senior/handbook.pdf
You can't get much more credible than that.

AFAICT it contains only the vaguest of criteria about
instructor credentials:
  "sufficient numbers of faculty qualified for the
   type and level of curriculum offered"



In practice, a degree in physics is widely regarded as
a good starting point for a wide range of endeavors.
That's one of the selling points!  Tell your students!
It won't get you a job doing neurosurgery, but ....

Koopmans got a degree in physics.  Do you think anybody
would mind if he taught a course in, say, economics?
  http://www.nobel.se/economics/laureates/1975/koopmans-autobio.html

Also in practice, nobody is going to check credentials.
If you do a good job, lack of credentials won't hold
you back.  If you do a bad job, no amount of credentials
will save you.

You've got all summer to get up to speed.  Be thankful
they didn't drop this in your lap September 1st.

I'm assuming this is something you would _want_ to do
(i.e. you're not trying to cook up a rationale for
not doing it).