Senate Document 98-07
Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee
Passed  February 3, 1999

TO:                  Faculty Senate

FROM:            Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee

SUBJECT:            Purdue University Senate Document 97-7

The Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee recommends approval of University Senate Document 97-7.

Approved:                               Absent:

J. Conedera                              H. R. Adesiyan

D. Kozel                                 J. B. Higley

L. Mura

S. Sil   

University Senate Document 97-7
23 March 1998

As approved 27April 1998

 

TO:                       The University Senate

FROM:                 University Senate Educational Policy Committee

SUBJECT:            Incomplete Grades Regulations and Procedures

REFERENCE:                 Academic Procedure Manual, Page 0-25; University Senate Document 83-9, March                                           26, 1984

DISPOSITION:     University Senate for Approval

Incomplete Grades Regulations and Procedures

Proposed Change

Rationale

Some faculty and advisors have expressed concern about the current University policy on incomplete  grades and have requested that an alternate statement be adopted.  The following proposal, which originated with the Faculty Council  at Purdue University North Central, addresses this issue and is recommended for approval to the University Senate by the Educational Policy Committee.

The current statement about the timeframe for removing a grade of Incomplete leaves room for this process to become unreasonably long when students interrupt their studies for several semesters and return to the University after a lengthy absence.  The committee believes that the proposed statement more clearly articulates the intent of the faculty and the spirit of the current policy by specifying a maximum length of time in which to complete work required to earn a permanent passing grade.

The dean of students suggested the change in wording to clarify the consulting role of that office with respect to incomplete grades.

We have listed below the existing regulations followed by an alternation, with proposed changes in bold italics.

University Regulations

                       Present                                                                       Proposed                                            

Part 2 Academic Regulations and                              Part 2 Academic Regulations and

                      Procedures                                                                 Procedures

Section VII.  Grades and Grade Reports                                   Section VII.  Grades and Grade Reports

B.     Semester Grades (O-24)                                     B.       Semester Grades (O-24)

4.      For Incomplete Work, Either Credit or                     4.        For Incomplete Work, Either

         Noncredit                                                                    Credit or Noncredit

A grade of  Incomplete is a record of work                             A grade of Incomplete is a record of work
which was interrupted by unavoidable absence                        which was interrupted by unavoidable absence
or other causes beyond a student’s control,                             or other causes – beyond a student’s control,
which work was passing at the time it was                              which work was passing at the time it was
interrupted and the completion of which does                          interrupted and the completion of which does
not require the student to repeat the course in                         not require the student to repeat the course in
order to obtain credit.  The incomplete may                            order to obtain credit.  The incomplete may
also be used to delay the awarding of a grade                        also be used to delay the awarding of a grade
in courses (e.g., self-paced courses, mastery                          in courses (e.g., self-paced courses, mastery
courses, and practices the completion of                                courses, and practices the completion of
which normally requires one semester, but the                        which normally requires one semester, but the
structure of which allows specified additional                         structure of which allows specified additional
time.  An instructor may require the student to                       time.  An instructor may consult with the
secure the recommendation of the dean of                        
dean of students to determine whether the
students that the circumstances warrant a                      circumstances may warrant a grade of
grade of incomplete.  When an instructor                      incomplete.  When an instructor reports a
reports a grade of Incomplete, he/she shall file                      grade of Incomplete, he/she shall file in the
in the departmental office a statement of the                         departmental office a statement of the reason
reason for the grade and what is required of                          for the grade and what is required of the
the student to receive a permanent grade.                             student to receive a permanent grade.  He/She
He/She shall also indicate the grade that the                          shall also indicate the grade that the student
student has earned on the work completed,                            has earned on the work completed, and the
and the weight to be given to the remainder of                      weight to be given to the remainder of the work
the work in computing a final, permanent                               in computing a final, permanent grade.  The
grade.  The student must achieve a permanent                     student must achieve a permanent grade in
grade in the course no later that then 12th                             the course no later than the 12th week of the
week of the second subsequent semester of                          second subsequent semester of enrollment,
enrollment, or the incomplete grade will revert                       or the incomplete grade will revert to a failing
to a failing grade.  (See Section VI I-F.)                               grade (See Section VII-F.)  If the student is
                       
                                                    
      
not enrolled for a period of three years
Appropriate incomplete grades for courses …                   following the semester in which the

                       
                                                     
     
incomplete is given, then the incomplete
  
                                                                         
       grade will be permanent.  The grade will not
                       
                                                   
        revert to a failing grade, nor will the student
                       
                                                       
    be able to earn credit for the course by
                       
                                                       
    completing the work.

Appropriate incomplete grades for courses … 

Approving:                                                      Opposed:                               Absent:

S. Akers                    M. Peelle                           None                                      P. Farris

M. Asteriadis            R. Ringel                                                                           R. Herdck

J. Gaunt                    M. Roney                                                                          S. Kenyon

S.. Hastings              A. Rud                                                                              A. Swardson

L. Iten                      P. Wankat                                                                        G. Wagenheim

S. Mills                     F. Williams

G. Mork