Incomplete Grade

An Incomplete grade or "I" is given when a student is not able to complete coursework because of a serious reason. The instructor sets a deadline for the completion of the work. If the work is not completed by the deadline noted on the Incomplete Grade Form, the student will be assigned a grade of "F" and no credit is given for the course.

Incomplete and In-progress Grades

The grades INC (Incomplete) and IP (In Progress) may be used when an instructor finds compelling reason for a student to complete work for a course after that course has ended. INC may only be given when a student is unable to complete a course because of illness or other serious personal hardships. IP may be used when there are compelling academic reasons for permitting a student to complete work for a course after that course has ended. Although IP is generally reserved for independent studies, it may be used for students in courses other than independent studies when there are compelling academic reasons for doing so and the IP can be used without unfairness to other students in the class. If, for example, several students select an approved project for a term paper, laboratory report, or creative assignment that turns out to require more time for completion than is available before the end of the course, then an instructor may permit all of the students who have chosen that project the option of completing their work by a set date in the following semester.

When an instructor finds that a grade that he or she has previously awarded misrepresents the completion of course requirements or the relative merit of a student’s performance, that instructor may submit a change of grade form. A change of grade requires approval by the chair of the department or program in which the grade was given and the dean of the school in which that department or program is housed. The instructor will be required to state his or her reason for requesting a grade change. Since INC (Incomplete) and IP (In Progress) are the appropriate options for allowing students to complete work after the end of a course, “late work” is not an acceptable reason for requesting a change of grade.

To give an incomplete grade, the instructor should file an Incomplete Grade Form with the Office of Records and Registration. This form will indicate the reason for giving the incomplete, the requirements the student must meet in order to complete the course, and the deadline for completion. If no deadline is given, the date of March 15 is used for courses taken in the fall semester and October 15 for courses taken in the spring semester or summer session. Work which is still incomplete at the time of the deadline will be assigned a grade of F. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the faculty member about completing course work and meeting the deadline.