Incomplete Grades

An incomplete grade is used when circumstances beyond the control of the student prevent completion of the coursework, such as serious illness, personal hardship or death in the family. An incomplete grade should not be assigned for failure to submit work on time because of inadequate planning or to extend time to improve a grade. It is intended for use when a small number of minor assignments or a single major assignment (i.e. final exam or final paper) is outstanding and when the student has missed no more than two weeks of unverified absences from class.

Students are expected to discuss an incomplete with their instructor and a plan and schedule for completing the remaining work, agreeable to student and professor. Students then submit an official request to the instructor using the Incomplete Grade Request, on or before the last day of classes. Upon approval, the instructor submits an Incomplete Grade Request via Coursedog and a temporary grade of “I” is assigned by the Office of the Registrar.

All outstanding work is due no later than six weeks after the close of the semester. For students on Probation or facing potential academic dismissal, an earlier deadline may be imposed in accordance with the timeline for the end of term review conducted by the instructor. Graduating students who take an incomplete in their final term may be moved to the next conferral date if work is not submitted and graded by the end of the month of the original conferral date. Any requests to extend the incomplete deadline must be submitted via petition, with supporting documentation, to the Graduate Academic Standing committee; if approved, a grade of “EI” is assigned. EIs cannot be extended beyond the agreed-upon deadline (no more than 6 weeks from original incomplete deadline).

Final grades are due from the instructor four weeks after the incomplete or extended incomplete deadline; final grades should be entered via the Faculty Request for Change of Grade form for processing by the Registrar’s Office. When a final grade for an Incomplete has not been submitted by the instructor, a grade of “F” will be recorded by the Office of the Registrar.