NRO policy can detract, professors say

Similar to peer institutions' policies, the College's non-recording option, which was instituted in its current form in 1973 and grants College departments discretion in determining the number of NRO-eligible courses, encourages students to pursue subjects outside of their majors while sometimes detracting from the rigorous nature of the classroom environment, according to students and professors. The NRO policy, which allows students to set a pre-determined minimum acceptable grade for a course, can be invoked up to three times in a students' undergraduate career for department-approved NRO courses. "It gives students the freedom to try new things," economics professor Bruce Sacerdote '90 said.