Incomplete Policy
In the event that a student experiences an acute circumstance that prohibits them from participating in a portion of a course or courses, they can request an incomplete grade to have extra time to make up their missed work. In other words, an incomplete grade is generally approved only when some specific event or illness prevents the student from completing a specific part of the course (such as completing a paper, project or exam). Should the option of an incomplete grade emerge, students and instructors are strongly encouraged to contact the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs to discuss the viability and appropriateness of an incomplete, since discussion is necessary before issuing this grade option. An incomplete cannot be approved in instances where a student is demonstrating an overall difficulty covering or understanding the course materials and appears to need more time or additional instruction to learn the material. If such general difficulty occurs the student should discuss available options with his or her course instructor and advisor well before the end of the semester.
A student may request an incomplete ("I") grade by petitioning the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. The deadline to request an incomplete is the last day of classes, unless the acute circumstance occurs during finals week, in which case an exception could be made. If an incomplete grade is approved, the student will be granted an extension period to complete the coursework. The Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, in consultation with others as appropriate, will determine the period of the extension with the instructor and student. In no circumstances may the extension be later than the end of the subsequent semester.
A grade of "I" will be listed as a temporary grade and will not affect the grade point average. If the work is not completed by the approved deadline, the incomplete grade of "I" will be changed to "IF", Incomplete Failing, or an alternate grade upon approval of the instructor. Note: an "IF" grade does affect the grade point average.
In some cases a student may need to leave during the semester for a medical reason but, given the timing of the request and the type of work that needs to be completed, the student may be able to complete the work for the semester away from Olin. If that is the case and the need occurs after the 33rd day of instruction, a student can request a Medical Incomplete ("MI") for each course. An agreement would need to be reached between the student and each individual faculty member, and may not be possible for all courses in which the student is enrolled, which may result in withdrawal from some courses. A Medical Incomplete must be requested prior to the last day of instruction for the semester and may not be requested after that point. A student taking a Medical Incomplete must inform the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs about their intention to complete the work or take a Medical Withdrawal by the last day of instruction for the semester. If the student does not inform the Assistant Dean of their plans then their status will be changed to Medical Withdrawal.