‘Incomplete’ Course Grades

Background

The purpose of an Incomplete grade is to allow a student to fulfill any remaining course requirements (Assignments, Exams, etc.) outside the normal boundaries of the term they registered. Some key sections of Incomplete policy and practice will be discussed here, but you can refer to the Incomplete Grade Policy and the Incomplete Grade FAQ for more details.

Justification

An incomplete grade is something an Instructor does of their own volition, to benefit a student. They are not mandatory, and there are few actual policies set for them. There is nothing which says an Instructor MUST provide an Incomplete option for students who meet some criteria, and so it is up to the Instructor to decide whether the student’s situation merits one. The Incomplete simply offers them a longer window to submit the course materials - it does not eliminate or reduce that workload.

Requirements

By University policy, the student applying for an Incomplete must be passing the course at the time of the request. Beyond this, there is no timeline the student must meet for their request. That being said, if the student is applying for an Incomplete prior to the Last Day to Withdraw it is recommended to have them speak to their advisor about other options.

Process

The process for Incomplete grades is actually quite simple! The Registrar’s office recommends completing a Contract for Completion of I Grade so you have some deadline structure to use as a basis for gauging student work. This also helps the student know what they’re getting themselves into! Beyond that, the only difference from a normal term work is application of grades.

See the Issuing Grades Guide for details on how to enter grades. At the end of the term, any students who have agreed to an Incomplete grade shall receive a letter grade of I/X where X is the grade they’ll default to if they do not complete their assigned tasks (e.g. I/D+). You must also include a Last Date of Participation when you submit this grade. When the student completes their assigned tasks, simply update their final grade (e.g. from I/D+ to A-).

Possible Issues

Occasionally Ecampus will Conclude a course which still has students enrolled with Incomplete grades. If this happens, you’ll need to contact Ecampus Support to have them re-open a course for yourself and the appropriate students.

Additionally, don’t forget to adjust due dates for these students to match the agreed-on timeline!