Grading System

Incomplete grades may be given only in the following circumstances:

• The student’s work to date is passing;

• Attendance has been satisfactory through at least 50% of the term;

• A documented illness or injury, death in the family, or other extenuating circumstance legitimately prevents completion of required work by the due date;

• Required work will be completed and submitted to the instructor three weeks before the close of the following term;

• The incomplete is not given as a substitute for a failing grade;

• The incomplete is not based solely on a student's failure to complete work or as a means of raising his or her grade by doing additional work after the grade report time;

• The student initiates the request for an incomplete grade before the end of the academic term.

Appropriate grades must be assigned in other circumstances. An X grade may be recorded for students who cease attending class within the first 50% of the course at the instructor’s discretion.

 The following procedures for incomplete grades apply:

• Students who receive an incomplete grade in a course need not reregister for the course in order to remove the “I.”
• An Incomplete is not to be assigned where the normal practice requires extension of course requirements beyond the close of a term, e.g., thesis or project type courses.
• Faculty must enter a default grade which will appear on the transcript should the expiration deadline lapse without further action on the part of the student.
• A default grade should reflect the final grade status of the student without considering any additional work.
• The value of the default grade, entered with the incomplete, will be calculated into the student GPA and considered for purposes of determining academic standing, federal financial aid eligibility, athletic eligibility, or other purposes. The GPA will be recalculated only when the final grade is recorded.
• The course work may be completed while the student is not enrolled unless the student has been dismissed from the university.
• Only in extenuating circumstances will extensions be granted beyond seven weeks. Forms for extension requests can be found on the WWU website. Extension requests must be approved by the Associate Vice President of Academic Administration. Forms are available online.
• Incomplete grades may be replaced with final letter grades prior to the expiration deadline by the faculty of record through myWWU.
• Graduating students must complete all outstanding incompletes six weeks prior to graduation.
• Instructor may set a deadline earlier than seven weeks of the successive term if desired.