Current Students (Incompletes) - McMaster Divinity College

Course Instructors may not assign a grade of incomplete (INC) or deferred (DEF) unless the following procedures have been followed:

Any student requesting an Incomplete must first fill out an "Application for an Incomplete/Deferral" available from the Student Records Office or above. Application must be made before the deadline date for submission of course assignments.
Students must meet with the instructing faculty member to discuss the incomplete or deferral before submitting the form to the Dean or designate.
Students must then make an appointment with the Dean or designate to obtain approval for the request.
A firm deadline date for completing the course requirements will be set and recorded on the form.
The student, the course instructor and the Dean or designate must sign the form, indicating their agreement to the terms, conditions, and deadlines.
Only then may the instructor record the grade as incomplete (INC) or deferred (DEF) on the final grade sheet for submission to the Registration Office.
Any grade of incomplete (INC) or deferred (DEF) appearing on the final grade sheet that has not received official approval from the Dean or designate will be automatically converted to "F" by the Student Records Office.

Reasons for Granting a Status of Incomplete or Deferral

Incompletes will be granted only for reasons of sickness, death, or major crisis in the immediate family. A doctor's note must accompany the application for an incomplete on the basis of illness.
- Incompletes can be granted for up to 12 weeks.
- The timeframe for deferrals is between 12 weeks and 12 months.
Incompletes or deferrals are not given for work overload. A student who feels overloaded with work should make arrangements to drop the course by the withdrawal deadline.

Consequences of a Grade of Incomplete or Deferral

A student with two or more grades of incomplete or one deferral is ineligible to register for more courses until the incomplete or deferred work is submitted.
A student with one incomplete may be eligible for academic awards or financial assistance.

Completion/Incompletion of the Terms of the Incomplete or Deferral Status

Upon completion of the course requirements, the instructor is responsible for notifying the Student Records Office that the grade of INC or DEF may be changed to the appropriate grade. The Student Records Office will then record the grade change with the university to ensure accuracy in the student's transcript.
Only in exceptional circumstances will students be allowed to re-negotiate the recorded deadline date for the Incomplete. Requests for an extension of the deadline date must be made in writing to the Dean or designate. A DEF may be granted at that time for extreme circumstances. Under a DEF status the student may request to postpone completing course requirements for up to 12 months. The final decision is negotiated between the Dean or Designate and the Faculty.
If the student fails to meet the recorded deadline, the Student Records Office will automatically convert the grade of INC or DEF to "F" unless instructed otherwise by the Dean or designate.