The 3 P’s of an Incomplete
by Dana Forbes | March 17, 2009
Purpose
The purpose of an incomplete is to provide learners who can’t complete a course by the last day of the course due to unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances to complete the course. How do learners receive an incomplete?
Process
First, learners need to contact an academic advisor to help them decide if an incomplete is the best academic option for their situation. Second, learners who are eligible for an incomplete must complete an Incomplete Grade Request (IGR) on iGuide. They may use the following path to access the IGR: Self-Service>>University Forms>>University Forms for learners>>Incomplete Grade Request. Third, after the learner has submitted an IGR, an e-mail will notify the instructor to deny, approve, or revise the IGR. If the IGR is denied, the learner will want to contact an academic advisor about other alternatives. If the IGR is approved or revised, the learner will want to plan to complete the incomplete. Why plan to complete an incomplete?
Plan
Depending on the learner’s academic situation, he or she may be required to pay out-of-pocket for future courses or progress to another stage of academic probation up to academic suspension. Learners can avoid these consequences by considering the following when planning to complete an incomplete:
1. Know the details of your IGR. Learners will want to ensure they know the final date for submitting work and the instructor’s special requests, if any. For example, some instructors request learners to submit their final work through the courseroom, yet others want learners to send it to their Capella e-mail address. Learners who fail to submit their final work by the deadline will receive a failing grade for the course.
2. Complete the incomplete sooner rather than later. Unforeseen and unavoidable events can fall on learners while trying to complete an incomplete. If a learner encounters a life situation that may delay or stop from completing the course according the instructor’s deadline, he or she needs to immediately contact the instructor and an academic advisor.
3. Schedule time to regularly work on the incomplete. Make completing the incomplete a priority. Learners will want to schedule times for enjoyment and work to complete an incomplete. Don’t feel incomplete by not completing an incomplete.