Earlier this year, a revision to the incomplete grade policy was approved through University governance. This email serves as a reminder regarding the policy change, as well as an update to the process students must follow to request incomplete grades. The full policy is documented in the University Regulations.
Major changes:
- The granting of an incomplete grade requires a formal request from the student (accomplished through a new online form – continue reading below).
- Individual faculty members will no longer be able to assign incomplete grades via their grade roster*. After a student requests an incomplete using the form in myCU, the incomplete grade will be assigned by the Registrar’s office, if approved by the course instructor.
An incomplete (I) is a temporary grade given only when a student is unable to complete a course by the end of the term due to extenuating circumstances that are beyond the student’s control. In order to receive an incomplete grade, the student must submit a request for one electronically, via myCU. Students can access the request form by logging into myCU and clicking on the “Forms” tile on their KnightHub homepage. An overview of the process can be found here.
The granting of an incomplete grade is at the sole discretion of the course instructor, and instructors are under no obligation to grant them. If a request is approved, the Registrar’s office will assign the incomplete grade to the student. If an instructor does not approve a request for an incomplete, they should submit the grade earned by the student.
*In cases where normal practice requires extension of course requirements beyond the end of the term (such as travel, fieldwork, or professional experience), a grade of incomplete may be assigned without need for individual student request, with instructor and department chair approval. Contact the Registrar’s office if you teach a course such as this.