Students are expected to complete all coursework prior to the end of the semester. Students unable to complete the work for a course - because of illness, emergency, or any other reasonable cause - should discuss the issue with their instructor.   It is sometimes possible for an instructor to issue a grade of ‘I’ or Incomplete; this permits the completion of the course work after the semester has finished.  The student initiates a request for a grade of ‘I’ by completing the Application for Incomplete (I) Grade.  An Incomplete will only be awarded in cases in which all of the following criteria have been met: 

• the student experienced circumstances beyond their control such as illness, emergency,  death in the family or other reasonable cause, which prohibited the completion the  coursework;
• the student completed at least three-quarters of the course requirements;
• the student initiated the request for an Incomplete by the last day of the final exam period by submitting the Application for Incomplete (‘I’) Grade to the instructor;
• the instructor approved the request and agreed that a grade of Incomplete is appropriate.

The instructor has the right to deny the request.  An Incomplete is not appropriate and would not be approved if there are excessive absences, significant work remaining, and/or the student cannot pass the course even after completing the remaining assignments.  Students who abandoned or discontinued participation in a course without authorization will earn a grade of ‘F’ (fail) and are not eligible for a grade of ‘I’. The Application for an Incomplete Grade must be signed by both the student and instructor and submitted to the Registrar’s Office by 5:00 pm of the last day of the final exam period.  In extreme cases when the student is unable to complete the Application, the Wellness Center or the Registrar’s Office may act on the student’s behalf.  The Application outlines the coursework to be completed and the due date for each assignment. 

Once the Application is approved and submitted a grade of ‘I’ will be assigned and can remain in place until midterm (Friday of the 7^th week) of the following semester.  During this period the grade of ‘I’ will appear on the student’s transcript.  An ‘I’ calculates into the GPA as a failing grade.  Once the coursework is completed and the instructor submits the grade change form to Registrar’s Office, the updated grade will replace the ‘I’ on the transcript, as well as in the GPA and credit hour calculations.

To allow the instructor time to evaluate the work and submit a grade change, students must submit all required coursework to the instructor no later than the 6^th week of the following semester for which the grade of ‘I’ was assigned.  If a grade change is not submitted, the grade of ‘I’ will update to an ‘F.’ In order for a student to graduate at the May commencement all incomplete grades must be removed from the transcript by the beginning of the spring examination period.