Grading Policy (Faculty/Staff)

Academic Senate regulations related to grades and credit can be found under Part II of the Irvine Division in the Academic Senate manual.

Selected information, with references to Academic Senate regulations, is noted below.

Incomplete (I)
IR A345 The grade Incomplete (I) may be assigned when a student's work is of passing quality but is incomplete for good cause. The student must make arrangements with their instructor to complete the coursework within a period of no more than 12 months following the term in which the grade Incomplete was originally awarded, or prior to the end of the quarter immediately preceding award of the degree, whichever comes first. The instructor is not obligated to allow the maximum time period. The student should not reenroll in the course to make up the Incomplete.

Incomplete (I) grades will convert to a failing grade (F), not pass (NP), or unsatisfactory (U), whichever is appropriate, after remaining on the student's record for 12 months, as governed by Irvine Academic Senate Regulation IR A345, section F.

The grade Incomplete is appropriately assigned only when a student's work is incomplete "for good cause." Good cause is typically interpreted as an otherwise successful student having an unforeseen interruption of studies that he or she has discussed with you prior to the end of instruction.

If you have never assigned a grade Incomplete before, your academic counseling staff should be able to assist you with sample language to use when drawing up a "contract" between you and the student to make up an Incomplete grade.

Incomplete grades should not be awarded for those students on your roster with whom you are completely unfamiliar. Please record these students with F, NP, or U grades or NR (no report). Incomplete grades should not be awarded to students who are simply failing for no evident/unusual cause and who have not contacted you prior to the end of instruction to discuss the possibility of receiving an Incomplete. The appropriate grade in these cases is an F, NP, or U.

Posting Incomplete grades in lieu of F, NP, U, or NR record grades prevents staff in academic and administrative units from quickly identifying students most in need of various types of support. It is to the benefit of all for instructors to assign an appropriate grade. Incomplete (I) grades will convert to a failing grade (F), not pass (NP), or unsatisfactory (U), whichever is appropriate, after remaining on the student's record for 12 months, as governed by Irvine Academic Senate Regulation IR A345, section F.

Prior to Fall 2010
Incomplete grades on a student's record prior to Fall 2010 are not subject to the conversion to an F, NP, or U grade as governed by IR A345, section F. Incomplete grades on a student's record prior to Fall 2010 have no grade points but are treated as an F, NP, or U grade when calculating a student's grade point average for degree certification.

In Progress (IP)
The IP grade may be assigned for the intervening quarters of an approved sequential course where the evaluation of the student's performance is deferred to the end of the final quarter. (IR A345, section G1.)

No Report (NR)
The Registrar will assign an NR when a final grade is not submitted by the instructor. NRs may be removed within one quarter or changed to a grade by the instructor provided a clerical or procedural error has occurred. The student's NR becomes a final grade of F, NP, or U (depending on which grade option the student enrolled under) after one quarter of subsequent attendance. (IR A345, section G2.)

Pass/Not Pass (P/NP)
May be assigned only when a student is officially enrolled with the pass/not pass (P/NP) option, which will be noted on class rosters and the final grade course report. (IR A350)

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U)
S or U may be assigned for certain graduate work of graduate students, with the approval of the Graduate Council. (IR 355)