The mark of “IN” (Incomplete) should only be assigned in instances when work cannot be completed due to documented illness or another emergency occurring after the twelfth week of the semester (or twelfth week equivalent for any course scheduled for less than 15 weeks).
The mark of “IN” should not be used when a student does not finish assignments before grades are due. In those cases, students will be given the grade earned at the time the semester ended.
Please refer to the Registrar’s resource on Grading and Correction of Grades for more information on Incomplete grades and other special grading circumstances.
Arrangements for the grade of IN and its completion must be initiated by the student and agreed to by the instructor prior to the final examination. If an IN is assigned as the student’s grade, the instructor is required to fill out an Assignment of an Incomplete (IN) and Requirements for Completion form, which specifies to the student and the department 1) the work remaining to be done, 2) the procedures for its completion, 3) the grade in the course to date, and 4) the weight to be assigned to the remaining work when the final grade is computed. Both the instructor and student must sign the form and send a fully executed copy to Samantha Malisos in the Price Office of Faculty and Academic Affairs.
A student may remove the “IN” by completing only the portion of work that remains incomplete as a result of documented illness or emergency occurring after the twelfth week of the semester.
When the student completes the work and the instructor has computed a final grade, the instructor must email Samantha Malisos to initiate the Completion of IN form via DocuSign. Once the form routes through the appropriate approvals, the student will be notified of the grade change by the Grades Department.
A student has one calendar year to remove an Incomplete. If the IN is not resolved within this time, the course is considered “lapsed” and the grade is changed to “IX” (Expired Incomplete). IX grades are calculated into the student’s grade point average as 0 points (as if it were an “F”). Courses offered on a Credit/No Credit basis or taken on a Pass/NO Pass basis for which a mark of Incomplete is assigned will be lapsed with a mark of “NC” (No Credit) or “NP” (No Pass) and will not be calculated into the grade point average.
Additionally, Incomplete grades cannot be completed by attending the class again, even portions of it. Students can only attend those courses in which they are formally registered. It is not possible to remove an “IN” by re-registering for a course.
If extenuating circumstances prevent a student from completing the Incomplete course with a year, they can initiate a general petition with their academic advisor to request that the Committee on Academic Policies and Procedures (CAPP) consider an extension of this timeline. Extensions beyond the specified time limit are rarely approved, particularly if the student has enrolled in subsequent semesters since the removal of the incomplete should be the student’s priority.
In all cases, a petition for an extension of time for completion of an IN must have departmental approval and include a statement from the instructor explaining what is needed to complete the course and why the instructor feels the student should be given further time for completion.