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Assignment of Incomplete Grades
April 20, 2006
Dear Faculty and Instructional Staff:
Over that last two years, the Office of Admissions and Records has noted
an increase in the number of I (incomplete) grades that have been awarded
to either individual students (without their knowledge) or to whole classes.
In addition, staff have reported that instructors often seem confused
about which grades should be awarded under certain circumstances.
The purpose of this memo is to clarify the appropriate use of I grades
and the implications they have for students in cases where they were awarded
without the students knowledge.
The text that has been approved by the Faculty Senate for inclusion in
the Faculty Handbook revision is as follows:
Incomplete (I) grades should be recorded only in exceptional cases when
a student, for documented reasons, has failed to complete a well-defined
portion of a course, but was passing the course up until the time he or
she failed to complete the work. Even under these circumstances,
the authority for determining whether to grant an Incomplete rests with
the instructor. Graduate Teaching Assistants must have approval from their
supervising faculty member to grant an Incomplete.
If a student simply stops attending class without contacting you regarding
the possibility of granting an Incomplete, please make a note of the date
of last attendance and submit an F as the final grade. Deans and the registrars
office staff concur that receiving an F gets the students attention,
prompting them to make an effort to clear up the situation more quickly
than receiving an I grade.
In addition, federal laws that govern the distribution of Title IV federal
financial aid require that at the end of the term, the University review
the grades for all students receiving this aid. The University is
required to report each student who received all F, I or U grades if we
cannot verify that the last date of attendance is past a particular point
in the semester. The federal government defines students who receive all
F, I or U grades as unofficial withdrawals and requires the return of
their financial aid funds. Thus, the University must return the financial
aid awarded to that student to the federal government and the student
is placed in the position of having to repay the University a large sum
of money.
Faculty and instructional staff who try to help students by awarding I
grades to single students or to whole classes without following the above
guidelines are, in fact, potentially creating academic and financial problems
for the University and for those students.
Please contact the Dean of the Faculties Office or the Registrars Office
if you have questions regarding this issue. Thank you for adhering to
this University policy by applying the grade that is appropriate for each
students situation.
Jennifer N. Buchanan, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of the Faculties
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December 6, 2006
From the Registrar’s Office:
Instructors are reminded that the University Faculty Handbook
has stated guidelines for assigning “I” grades. In short, “I” grades should
be assigned only after a discussion has occurred between the student and
the instructor, and when the student has completed a substantial portion
of the coursework. Each semester we have noted instances where entire
classes have been awarded “I” grades, in apparent violation of the Handbook.
As a result, the Registrar’s Office has discussed this with the Council
of Assistant and Associate Deans, as well as the Dean of the Faculties,
and has expanded the late roster fee designation to include classes in
which all students receive “I” grades. Effective Fall 2006, the late roster
penalty of $10/student/roster will also be assessed for any class in which
more than five students are enrolled and in which the entire class is
awarded “I” grades.
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