Policy

The mark of "I" (Incomplete) is given when a student has not completed all the work for a class and it is determined by the student and the course instructor that the student will be unable to complete the work prior to the date that semester course grades are due to be submitted to the university. Please note that instructors have the right to make the final decision about awarding an "Incomplete." The use of the grade of Incomplete ("I") is not routine and is limited to only those circumstances that cause disruptions that are beyond the student's control so that s/he could not complete the required course work by the end of the semester. Examples might include circumstances such as the loss of a home, job loss, documented medical/health illness, or other comparable life disruptions. Students experiencing documented medical or health concerns that cause interruptions to the ability to complete course requirements, may qualify to seek a medical withdrawal - forms may be found on the WSU Registrar web page. Students are to immediately contact their assigned Academic Advisor in all instances where receiving the mark of "I" in a course seems to be a possibility. 

In order to be granted a mark of "I", the course instructor and student must complete and sign a contract, the Course Incomplete form at the bottom of this page, which must include the agreed-upon assignment due date between student and faculty. The contract for awarding an Incomplete will not be accepted by the SSW if the faculty member has not provided the student with the due date of the incomplete course work and signed the form attesting to this arrangement. The student will complete the form online; it will be reviewed by the academic advisor and signed by the faculty members and finally approved and signed by the Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs. An electronic copy will be maintained by the SSW. Student will be able to download and keep a copy of the completed form. The instructor will then submit the mark of "I" for the student when student course grades are submitted to the university. Please note that instructors who sign an Incomplete form will not be in compliance with this policy if they fail to grade the assignments submitted by the agreed-upon due date.

Because the curricula in the BSW and MSW programs include pre-and co-requisite courses that must be successfully mastered before enrolling in related courses, it is the policy of the WSU School of Social Work that marks of "Incomplete" submitted to the university at the end of a semester as a student's final course grade must be satisfied before the first day of classes of the following semester, e.g., students must submit the missing course assignments to the instructor for previous "incomplete" course work before classes begin for the subsequent semester. If incompletes are not satisfied by the date of agreement between the faculty member and student, a faculty member may award a failing grade for the course. 

Alternately, students may be required to attenuate their program plan, which can only be changed with the permission of the Program Director and in consultation with their SSW Academic Advisor. An electronic copy of the "Incomplete Grade Policy" will accompany the semester "End of Classes" notice sent to all faculty by the OASS office. 

ALERT for students

Federal law determines that courses not completed with a valid completion grade have not been completed. Universities are required to review Incomplete grades (I) and make adjustments to financial-aid awards accordingly. Federal law also requires that universities must determine when a mark of Incomplete becomes a failed class because students will be requested to return financial aid award funds for certain "non-completed" courses for each semester.    

Please contact the WSU Financial Aid Office prior to requesting an Incomplete in your courses to be fully aware of how an "Incomplete" will impact your financial aid situation. 

Form

Responsibility for completing all course work rests with the student. Responsibility for grading the completed work and reporting the grade change to the Office of the Registrar in a timely fashion rests with the instructor.

To complete the form below please log in using your accessid as the username and your WSU Email password as the password.

• Fieldwork course Incomplete form
• Course Incomplete form

For questions regarding the form, contact the Office of Admissions and Student Services at sswadmissions@wayne.edu or 313-577-4409.