Incompletes

The grade Y (authorized incomplete) given at the end of a term indicates that the instructor, with the approval of the Student Affairs Committee, has agreed to withhold a final grade until the assigned work is completed. In order to request an incomplete the student should complete a Student Affairs Petition Form (PDF Format) or Student Affairs Online Petition Form, have the instructor sign the form, and then forward to the SCS office in Chicago or Evanston. A request for an incomplete should be a rare occurrence. An incomplete is meant to allow for crisis management only and not for routine time management, management of an overload of courses or to allow more time to improve a grade. Students should request an incomplete only when a circumstance has made it difficult or impossible to complete work due at the end of the term.

It is the instructor's decision to grant an incomplete and to determine how soon the work must be completed. In bachelor's degree and PDPs, the maximum amount of time granted is 10 weeks; in most cases the instructor stipulates a shorter period.

Failure to complete all assignments within the time period specified results in a Y grade that remains on the student's permanent record and is counted as an F in his/her GPA.

Students must request the incomplete before the final exam. If students do not obtain the instructor's permission for an incomplete, they are assigned a grade of X (unauthorized withdrawal). The X grade counts as an F in the GPA.

When instructors submit their final grades for the term, they advise SCS of the work to be completed by students who have received incompletes. The work must be turned in to either SCS office, not to the instructor. If students have exams to complete, they should call either SCS office to verify that the exams are on file and to schedule an appointment to complete them. Completed work, including examinations, is sent to the instructor with a request for a final grade. Instructors do not have the authority to change this policy.