An Important Note Regarding the Mark of I (incomplete)

Requesting (students) or issuing (faculty) Incomplete marks for a just concluded course is a dangerous practice. A number of negative consequences can and often do ensue:

1.      The student must remember to complete the course within the permitted time frame (two more semesters). Often students fail to do so and the I mark is automatically changed to the failing grade of F;

2.      The student assumes that the faculty member issuing the I mark will be available to the student for at least the next two semesters. Often, this does not materialize and little recourse is available to complete the course;

3.      The student will not be able to take any follow up courses for which the course with the mark of I is a prerequisite. This could put the student at risk of having to wait a year or more before the follow up course will again be offered;

4.      The I mark becomes part of the student’s permanent transcript. Multiple I marks on a student’s transcript may have a deleterious impact on potential future employment or application to graduate programs; and,

5.      Too many I marks within a short period of time can take the student out of “Satisfactory Academic Progress” possibly resulting in the student being terminated from MJI and resulting in the loss of financial aid.

Because of the above (and other risks) it is MJI policy that the mark of Incomplete should only be offered to students who have otherwise successfully completed all their other semester work, absent their final exam or paper. Incomplete marks should not be given for students who have failed to attend many class periods or who have not completed earlier assignments or exams. Rather, grades will be awarded based on actual performance or lack thereof.

Students facing extraordinary situations (such as health or other personal matters) that prohibit them from keeping up with class work are generally advised to “drop” at-risk courses rather than taking a poor or failing grade. See elsewhere in this catalog for information on dropping courses.

Grade Appeal Procedure

Students have thirty days from the time of receipt of a final grade to institute an appeal. The student should first confer with the instructor to fully understand the rationale for the grade and to correct any errors.

If the student feels that the grade is still unjustified, s/he must prepare a written request for reconsideration, to be submitted to the Dean. The student should include documentary evidence and supportive statements at the time of submission. The Dean has up to ten days to respond. If the Dean is unable to resolve the situation to the satisfaction of the student and the faculty member, the affected party may submit a written petition to the MJI President within seven days after the decision of the Dean. The President will render a decision within seven days. The decision of the President is final.

Repeating Courses

Only courses in which a student has earned a grade of “C-“ or under may be repeated. When a course is repeated, both grades will appear on the permanent record, with the second grade indicated as a “repeat.” When the Grade Point Average is computed, the higher grade will be used. The credit hours are not counted twice.