Technology

Helping Students Navigate Incomplete Coursework

Instructors at Illinois State University whose students receive an "incomplete" grade in a course will need to work with those students to determine how to fulfill the requirements to complete their coursework.

What is an incomplete grade?

An incomplete (I) will be assigned to a student who is doing passing work but, for reasons beyond their control (such as illness), is unable to complete the required work by the end of the term. The student must have attended class within three weeks of the close of the semester or within one week of the close of the summer session. Exceptions to this policy may be granted by the University Registrar. The student will not be allowed to graduate with an incomplete on their record. After three semesters, an incomplete is automatically changed to an F. A grade change is needed to update the grade after this point. (Policies and Procedures | Illinois State).

How to assign an incomplete grade

Before giving a student an incomplete grade for a course, the instructor must have spoken with the student and established:

  • The work to be completed for the grade to change.
  • A timeline for when this work will be completed.

 An incomplete grade only needs to be entered in Campus Solutions when you are submitting final grades. For most departments, no other approval or steps are necessary.

Supporting Students in Completing an Incomplete

After an incomplete has been assigned, there are a few options for how best to support that student as they work to complete the course. There is no set way for submitting incomplete work.

Grades can be exported from Canvas by going to Grades > Export, and then updated in an Excel spreadsheet as the students submit their work.

Students who take an incomplete do not have to complete the exact same coursework as those who finished the semester. Alternative assessments can be designed to address their unique circumstances and better support their learning.

Canvas 

If the student needs to complete work or access materials through Canvas, a separate section can be created so only the student(s) who need to complete the coursework can access it. In order to get a section created,  please contact the Technology Support Center at 309-438-4357 or submit a ticket with the following information:

  1. Course Name (Department, Number, Section, Semester)
  2. Student name(s)
  3. When the incomplete(s) will need to be completed by

After the section has been created, be sure you update any assignments, quizzes, or other past-due items for the student to submit. You can do this by:

  1. Edit Assignment.
  2. Under “Assign,” hit “+Add”

Note: Do not delete “Everyone” or edit the original due dates. This can remove the grades for the students who have already submitted this assignment.

  1. Under Assign To, enter the name of the section for the Incomplete(s)
  2. Enter new due dates and availability dates. 
  3. Click Save.
  4. Repeat for each assignment, quiz, or discussion for which the student(s) will need access.

 How to Get Help

Technical assistance is available through the Illinois State University Technology Support Center at: