All incomplete grades, except those for thesis, dissertation, or research courses, shall carry an alternate grade designation. The grade “I” with an alternate letter grade indicates that the work was incomplete at the end of the course. The alternate letter grade indicates the grade that will be recorded if the work is not completed by the end of the last day of the next semester in which the student is enrolled. This grade may be given to a graduate student who, upon petitioning the instructor in writing, has provided adequate justification for partial completion of the course requirement when the final grade report is due.
Completion of a course in which an incomplete grade has been given will involve the submission of required documents, e.g., term papers, exams, and notebooks, or may also include completion of contractual period of service not corresponding to the grading period. At the time the alternate letter grade is assigned, the instructor and student must complete an Incomplete Grade Processing Form (IGPF) with details of what the student must do and by what date in order to remove/change the incomplete grade. A copy of the IGPF must be placed in the student’s file in the department office. The grade of “W” will be reported for a graduate student who withdraws from a course after the end of the add/drop period according to the University calendar. The “W” remains a permanent part of the student’s academic record.