Lisa Cobb
Published: February 18 2004
Beginning this semester, students and faculty will be required to complete and sign contracts before incomplete grades are processed.
This change requires that both an instructor and student agree upon what percentage of the course has been completed, the student’s last date of attendance, the remaining requirements, and a completion date.
Both will then sign and date the contract, with the student receiving a copy and the instructor keeping the original.
The instructor will send a copy to the department head and a copy will be attached to the final grade roster.
If the student does not meet the requirements of the contract, an automatic F will be assigned.
The contract requirement is the latest modification of a general reform of how incompletes are assigned and handled at PJC.
According to Martha Caughey, coordinator of admissions and registration, until recently a student who did not complete the required course work for a class had until the end of the next major semester to complete the work or the incomplete grade would change to a W for a withdrawal.
That changed with a new policy, approved by the Curriculum Council, that went into effect in the fall of 2002.
It provides for the student and the instructor to agree upon a completion date with a possible deadline of up to one year.
If, after the deadline passes, the course work is not completed, the I grade automatically turns into an F.
“This policy puts more responsibility on the student,” said Caughey. “Receiving a W instead of an I is not punitive. It has no effect on the student’s GPA. Receiving an F certainly does.”
According to Caughey, about 70 percent of PJC students receive some form of financial aid from the federal government.
If a student is being paid to go to school but doesn’t attend, PJC is responsible for returning that money to the government.
A student has up to the time that 70 percent of the class is completed to withdraw.
After that point, the student will have to work out a written contract with the instructor to receive an I grade.
“The catalyst for this new policy [including the contract requirement] is that PJC has had to return money to the federal government for students who did not complete their course work,” said Dr. Lena Morgan, dean of curriculum implementation. “However, regardless of the government, I believe this will protect both the student and the faculty member.”
According to Morgan, in the past when an instructor has become sick or died, or when an adjunct teacher has moved away, there has been nothing in writing for the department head to consult regarding a student with an I grade.
While some faculty may think the policy creates more work for them, others like biology Professor Margaret Olive believe that “it’s a good idea; it leaves no room for doubt.
With a written contract, both student and instructor have to agree on a date.
This makes the student and the instructor have to communicate,” Olive said.
Business Professor John Atkins understands the reasoning for the new policy. [But] “one problem I see is that it takes a little discretion away from the instructor. If a student doesn’t show up for a final and I am unable to reach him, my only recourse is to give him a zero.”
However, Atkins also noted its potential benefits to the student as in the case of an adjunct teacher’s departure.
“PJC has been more lenient than most colleges in the state on this matter. Now we will be more in line,” he said.
Morgan added, “Some situations are unavoidable, and an I grade is needed to help the student. Does [a contract] require more steps? Yes, but it makes everyone think more seriously about an I.”