Incomplete Grades
An incomplete grade is a temporary grade assigned at the end of a semester to permit students additional time to complete work in a course. Policies regarding incompletes are governed by the division of the course.
Courses in the College of Arts and Sciences have two kinds of incompletes: educational and emergency. For courses in the Conservatory of Music, only emergency incompletes are available. All requests for incompletes and extensions of incompletes in arts and sciences courses must be addressed to the Academic Advising Resource Center. Requests for incompletes in conservatory courses must be addressed to the Office of the Conservatory Associate Deans. For emergency incompletes, students in both the college and conservatory will use the Emergency Incomplete Form found on OberView.
Unsure of which incomplete to pursue or know that you want to file for Educational Incompletes? Make an appointment to speak with an AARC representative, or stop in to the AARC during business hours.
Filing for Emergency Incompletes? Please complete the form found on OberView and make an appointment with an AARC dean.
Deadline and Extension
The due date for coursework under either kind of incomplete may be extended only for emergency reasons. If the coursework is not completed within the specified time, a grade will be recorded based on the extent to which the course requirements have been met.
Incompletes and Students Approved to March at Commencement
Faculty members must submit grades to the Registrar’s Office at noon on the Thursday before Commencement; therefore, you must submit work to your faculty member in advance of this deadline if you wish to receive a diploma at Commencement.
Please consult with your faculty member to confirm when your work is due so that your faculty member is able to meet the grade submission deadline. If you do not complete your work by the agreed upon date, you may still march at Commencement but your diploma will be withheld pending the successful completion of all requirements for your degree.
During your career at Oberlin, you may have a maximum of two educational incompletes in arts and science courses—authorized by the course instructor—for educational reasons. Educational incompletes are not available in conservatory courses.
A student who believes they are eligible for an Educational Incomplete should sign up for a virtual appointment to discuss the process, confirm eligibility, and obtain a link to the form. Students must consult with their instructor about the incomplete work and the proposed due date prior to submitting the request for an Educational Incomplete.
Submitting this form does not mean your request is approved. Once this form is submitted, it will be reviewed by your instructor for formal approval. An instructor may deny a request for an Educational Incomplete. The decision about your request will be communicated to you via email from the AARC.
Requests for educational incompletes must be submitted to the Academic Advising Resource Center before the start time of the scheduled final exam for the course.
The due date for finishing work is determined by the instructor, but it may not be later than the deadline published on the academic calendar; normally that deadline is no later than three weeks after the last day of classes. The due date for coursework under an educational incomplete may be extended only for emergency reasons and must be requested from an Academic Advising Resource Center dean prior to the due date of the educational incomplete.
If the coursework is not completed within the specified time, a grade will be recorded based on the extent to which the course requirements have been met. Additional educational incompletes (beyond two) may be authorized by the Academic Advising Resource Center only under exceptional circumstances, and only in arts and sciences courses.
Emergency incompletes may be authorized by the Academic Advising Resource Center for arts and sciences courses or the Office of the Conservatory Associate Deans for conservatory courses for reasons that arise from circumstances beyond the student’s control (e.g., medical, psychological, or life crisis reasons). No incomplete grades will be given in private study or ensemble participation in the Conservatory.
To request an emergency incomplete, students must complete the form on OberView and make an appointment to meet with a dean in the appropriate dean’s office. After the form is submitted, the student will receive an email with a link to schedule the appropriate appointment. Normally, emergency incompletes are authorized for end-of-semester work, not for work missed earlier in the semester.
The due date for finishing the work is set according to how much time was lost during the semester due to the emergency, but it may not be later than the deadline published on the academic calendar.
Emergency incompletes must be requested before the final exam start time as scheduled by the Office of the Registrar. We require documentation verifying the medical or life crisis reason at the time a student makes a request for an emergency incomplete. While personal information will be treated confidentially, the student’s professor will be consulted about the request.
The due date for coursework to be submitted under an emergency incomplete may only be extended only for emergency reasons by the appropriate dean's office. If the coursework is not completed within the specified time, a grade will be recorded based on the extent to which the course requirements have been met.
The emergency incomplete form is electronic and, once open, will be available OberView at the link below.
Emergency Incomplete Form on Oberview. Type "emergency incomplete" in the search bar.