Incompletes

Awarding an Incomplete grade

You have the option to award an Incomplete grade if:

• A student has performed at a satisfactory level during a majority of the course but has not completed all the required work by the end of the term due to hardship or other good cause; or
• For undergraduates:  if a student is not in attendance during the last several weeks of the term but the instructor believes the absence was beyond the student’s control (otherwise, the instructor should record an “FN” grade).

If you assign an Incomplete, you should:

• Inform the student of the missing course requirements and assignments to be completed;
• Set a deadline for their completion (up to one year from the end of the term in which the course was taken;
• Advise the student NOT to re-enroll in the course while finishing these requirements.

When the deadline is reached, you must remove the Incomplete via eGrade Change and assign the final grade, whether or not the student has completed the work. Note that if you do not take any action, the Office of the Registrar will automatically change the student’s I grade to an F one year after the end of the semester for which the Incomplete was awarded.

Be sure to give your department any necessary information on the work the student must finish. Check with your department or school for more information on this process.

How to remove an Incomplete

Submit an eGrade Change request to change a student’s grade from an Incomplete to a letter grade.

If a student is attending your class to complete work for another instructor, you should provide the student’s grade information to the original instructor, as they are responsible for filing the eGrade Change request. If the original instructor is no longer affiliated with the university, provide the information to the department chair instead.

If you need to extend an Incomplete past the initial one-year period, select ‘extension of incomplete’ in the eGrade change drop down list.  This will prevent the automatic change to an F.

If a student decides to withdraw from the course rather than complete the work (retroactive withdrawal), the eGrade Change request will be routed to their dean for approval.

Using a paper form

Very rarely, it may be impossible to submit an eGrade Change request online. If this is the case, obtain a PDF ‘Removal of I or R Grades’ form from your departmental or school recorder’s office. Return the completed form to the Office of the Registrar via the mail or in person. Do not give the form to the student to deliver to us.