Incompletes

An Incomplete (denoted on the transcript as “I) is a temporary grade that indicates a course has not yet been completed. Incompletes should only be granted when:

• the student has extenuating non-academic circumstances prohibiting the completion of the course (serious illness, car accident, death of a family member, etc)
• the remaining amount of work in the course is small (such as a final exam or paper)
• and the student’s standing in the course is at least a C- or higher. 

Instructors have discretion in granting an incomplete and should only give consideration if the above criteria is met AND they are willing to support the student in the completion of remaining course requirements. An incomplete grade should not be given without being requested by the student. Incompletes should not be used to allow a student to retake the course in a future term. Additionally, an Incomplete grade should not be used as a substitute for a failing grade or withdrawal.  

If an incomplete is agreed upon, both the student and instructor should mutually understand the reasons for the “I” grade and the expectations and timelines for completion of work. It is recommended that the student and instructor have a written agreement of work completed and timeline. 

Time frame for completion

The student should plan to complete the work as soon as possible; however, all required work must be completed no later than the end of the 4th week of the next full term of enrollment. Requests for extensions of time may be petitioned to the LSA Office of Student Academic Affairs and require approval of the instructor. Incomplete time extensions cannot extend beyond of the end of the next full term of enrollment. 

If the student does complete the work within the allowed time period, the final grade will post to the transcript, with the I remaining next to the grade (e.g. IA-, IC+). If the incomplete is not finished the Incomplete grade will automatically change to an ILE (Incomplete Lapsed to E) which factors into the grade point average as an E grade and no credit is received. For students who have elected pass/fail grading, an unfinished Incomplete will lapse to ILF, which has no impact on GPA.  

Transcript Notations for Incompletes

Beginning in Fall 2026, LSA will update its transcript policy for Incomplete grades:

• Once all required coursework for a course with an Incomplete is completed, only the final letter grade (e.g., “A,” “B+”) will appear on the transcript.
• The initial “I” designation will no longer be displayed once the final grade is posted.

This change applies to all courses taken in Fall 2026 or later. Courses completed before Fall 2026 will follow the existing transcript notation.