Office of Social Work Student Services, Operations and Finance

Students can switch sections and add/drop courses without approval up to the 100% add/drop date in any given semester (see the academic calendar for exact dates: http://rahpouyanschool.com/events/academic/). After this deadline, students must submit a request to the Office of Social Work Student Services, Finance and Administration via the Registration Adjustment Request Form. This form is to be used by students as the first step in requesting a registration adjustment, which includes:

• Adding a course after the start of the semester (late add request)
• Requesting a section switch mid-semester
• Requesting a section switch for a linked course

This request should include the current section the student is registered for (for section switches), the section they would like to switch to or be added to (for section switch and late add requests), and the reason they are requesting this switch after the deadline. The Office of Social Work Student Services, Finance and Administration will reach out to the student via email when a decision has been made or if additional information is needed.

Note: Submitting a request does not guarantee approval and the request will only be reviewed if there are extenuating circumstances. A decision will be made on a case by case basis and if there is space in the new/requested section.

A student who is concerned about the completion of a course may request a grade of Incomplete. It is up to the student to FIRST review the University incomplete policy (see below), seek advice about what an incomplete could mean for their academic plan from their academic advisor (email [email protected] or [email protected]), and request approval from the instructor prior to the end of the semester. If the faculty grants the incomplete, students and faculty must negotiate what work needs to be done and by what due date and complete the University Incomplete Agreement Form. Due dates for work could have implications for a student’s enrollment the next semester, so please be sure to confirm the due dates make sense with the student’s academic advisor. Incompletes are not automatic; it is at the discretion of the faculty member whether to grant an incomplete in all circumstances.

If the faculty grants the incomplete, they will follow the three-stage Incomplete Agreement webform:

1. Faculty initiation of form
2. Student confirmation of form
3. Department chair approval of form

Faculty, go here for form: Incomplete Agreement (you must login with your MSU Denver credentials)

Departmental Note: Any outstanding incomplete at the start of the following semester will initiate an automatic performance review and could result in an altered academic plan. MSW students are not allowed to have more than one outstanding “incomplete” at one time. This status will initiate an automatic performance review and the student will not be in good academic standing. Refer to the Sequential Coursework Policy and consult with Office of Social Work Student Services advisors ([email protected]) to see how this may impact you. Faculty must realize they will follow up on the student progress and deadlines agreed upon until the grade is resolved from an “I” to the grade earned after the student does or does not complete the work.

University Policy:

The Incomplete notation indicates that a student is achieving satisfactory progress in a course but is unable to complete all class assignments due to extenuating circumstances, such as documented illness, military leave, disability, internships that fall outside traditional semester timeframes, or circumstances beyond their control. The Incomplete notation is composed of an “I” (noted on the student’s transcript) and the student’s default grade (A, A-, B+, B, etc.), which is the grade the student has earned at the time course grades are first entered for the course. Incomplete work must be completed within the subsequent long semester (fall or spring) or earlier, at the discretion of the faculty member. In the event of extended extenuating circumstances, the completion date for incomplete work may be extended for an additional long semester, at the discretion of the faculty member. If the incomplete work is not completed, the “I” notation will convert to the default grade submitted by the faculty member.

An Incomplete notation may be assigned only if the student meets all these minimum requirements:

• The student has participated in an academically-related activity after the 60% mark of the course’s part of term. Academically-related activity involves active participation by a student in an instructional activity related to the student’s course of study as defined by the last date of attendance.
• The student has completed more than 50% of coursework and/or course contact hours, as determined by the faculty member or department chair if the faculty member is not available.

Determination of eligibility does not guarantee that an incomplete will be granted. Students who meet the qualifications may request an incomplete from the faculty member who is teaching the course. The decision to grant an incomplete is up to the faculty member or at the department chair’s discretion, if the faculty member is not available.

The decision to grant an incomplete as an accommodation based on a student’s disability shall be made by the faculty member or the department chair, if the faculty member is not available, in consultation with the Director of the Access Center.

If an incomplete is granted, the student and faculty member must fill out and sign an Incomplete Agreement Form to clarify what outstanding work the student should complete within the designated timeframe. Departments may have additional standards and/or criteria. Students should consult with their faculty member and department to determine additional requirements.

Graduating seniors may not graduate with an “I” on their MSU Denver academic record if:

• The course in which the “I” was assigned is required for graduation, or
• The default grade assigned for that course would result in an overall GPA less than 2.00.