L&S Guidance for circumstances to (not) use a grade of I (Incomplete)
L&S guidance for instructors for circumstances of assigning a grade of I
The Incomplete (I) grade should be assigned when an end of the semester situation out of the student’s control has occurred. L&S Academic Deans Services (ADS) may be consulted at any time with questions. They may well be aware of many issues the student is having with other classes or outside of class. Also, if needed, they can reach out to the student to work with them on coming to terms with what’s going on and identifying best next steps. We know instructors care about their students and might think the Incomplete (I) will support student’s well being. However, experience shows that a grade of F, if there is a concerning pattern, will bring the student to the Academic Deans’ attention significantly sooner than an Incomplete (I) (that will often lapse to an F after the student has spent most of another semester struggling).
Common cases where (I) should NOT be assigned
Please see a list of common cases where (I) should NOT be assigned and some alternative grade options/actions.
- A student has attended, but done little or no work for the class (regardless of whether the instructor has information about the student’s circumstances)
- Assign an F.
- Contact ADS Deans for information, advice, or context
- A student experienced a traumatic event in the first few weeks of the term and lets the instructor know immediately. The instructor makes arrangements for extended deadlines and make-up assignments. The student stopped returning emails around the 10th week and by the last week of the semester, they had completed less than half of the work for the class.
- Assign an F.
- If the student had completed the bulk of the work for the class and there was no course policy to the contrary, it could be appropriate to grade the student on work completed.
- Contact ADS Deans for information, advice, or context.
- A student has let the instructor know about a compelling circumstance that is or will keep them away from class and prevent completing assignments. The student has not been in any further touch and has not requested an Incomplete.
- Assign an F
- Contact ADS Deans for information, advice, or context
- A student about whom the instructor has no mitigating information and who has been attending class and completing assignments through the term does not turn in the final exam or project and has not requested an Incomplete.
- Assign an F for the final exam, and calculate the semester grade. Contact the student to ask what happened. Depending on the circumstances, offer the opportunity to complete the final/project and submit a grade change.
- Contact ADS Deans for information, advice, or context
- A student has missed some class and smaller, e.g. quiz- or discussion-post-level assignments. They let you know a couple weeks into the term that they have been dealing with mental health issues. Their work is always C-level or above. They do not turn in the final exam or project and have not requested an Incomplete.
- If there is no course policy to the contrary, grade the student on work completed.
- Assign an F
- Contact ADS Deans for information, advice, or context
- A student informs the instructor that they were unaware of the drop deadline for a short-session class, are not in a position to do well in it, but can no longer drop it. The student has completed no work for the course except the introduction. The instructor decided to offer an “I” so that the student can finish the course with the additional weeks of the term plus winter or summer break.
- Refer the student to ADS deans to request a late drop of the class.
- Assign the appropriate grade for the work completed if the student remains on the roster.
- When offering courses in sessions other than the regular full-semester, include on the syllabus and in any introductory lecture/slides information about drop deadlines
Contact the L&S Academic Dean's Office with further questions:
Phone: (608) 262-0617
Email: lsdeans@saa.ls.wisc.edu