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An Incomplete Experience Teaching
By Anonymous Hero
Posted Tue Feb 10, 2004 at 11:40:27 PM PDT
This past semester was the first time I've given a students an incomplete for my course and my experience has left me wondering what other readers experiences were with incompletes (both professor and student pov).

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What I'm finding is that while the original reason for the student's drop off in course work was more than valid (death of a parent!) they seem to be having problems getting things finishing things up this term. Given the life changing nature of the events that student experienced I don't blame them, but with administrative deadline approaching and the course material from last term receeding I'm not sure how best to help this person out!
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An Incomplete Experience | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)
[new] I gave my first incomplete last quarter ... (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by overconvergent on Wed Feb 11, 2004 at 10:19:58 AM PDT

I found that it was helpful to insist that the student meet with me once a week to discuss their progress.

(I didn't ask for this at first; no work was done).



[new] Sign on the dotted line (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by chawne on Fri Feb 13, 2004 at 04:41:40 AM PDT

After a couple of disappointing experiences with incompletes, I found it helpful to draw up a contract with the student and make him sign it. The contract contains things like: the reason for the incomplete, my list of the requirements for completion of the course, the final date by which all of the course requirements must be completed, and the student's proposed course of action. Usually, I find it best to specify due dates on each remaining task and set the appointment times for discussion of material--all in the contract. The goal here is to put loads of structure onto an amorphous situation.

If the student is making a good-faith effort to fulfill the contract, then I'll allow certain deviations later; but it seems that you have to be a stern enforcer at first to get the right attitude going. Writing up the contract with the student allows him to think that he has a hand in determining his fate, which does wonders for instilling guilt if things don't work out as planned.



[new] What situations merrit an incomplete (none / 0) (#5)
by jvano on Fri Feb 13, 2004 at 03:50:21 PM PDT

Several people have commented here that they have given students incompletes in past semesters and I'm just curious:
  • On what grounds (for what situations) have you given an incomplete to a student?
  • Does your department or university have any guidelines for giving out an incomplete?
I think that some situations, such as:
  • student experiences a death in their family;
  • student has serious medical procedure;
clearly merrit an incomplete, but what about things that (at least to me) do not seem as black/white such as:
  • the death of a distant relative (and how "distant" does it need to be?);
  • student (or student's girlfriend) gets pregnant;
  • student gets sick with flu or cold and misses class for several weeks;
What are other cases that should clearly merrit an incomplete? What are other boarder-line cases? Where does one draw the line?


An Incomplete Experience | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)
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