As we are just past the mid-point of the semester, with mid-term notices going out last week to students and the drop deadline coming up next Monday, April 4, we wanted to provide guidance for you on supporting students who may have missed significant work due to extended absences.

SUPPORTING MAKE-UP WORK

What is a reasonable amount of help to extend to a student at this point in the semester?

It can be helpful for instructors to consider the questions below about the student and the course, using the answers as a guide for any related decisions about giving Incompletes or extensions for assignments, projects, and other work. 

Questions about the student’s performance before the absences occurred:

• Good standing: Overall, was the student’s work submitted for the course to date satisfactory, i.e., at least of average quality?
• Attendance and Participation: Did the student usually attend class (or attend class according to SDS accommodations as discussed with the instructor)? Was the student’s written work generally submitted by the relevant deadlines? Did the student take the previous exams or quizzes at the day and time scheduled? (For the SDS DRADM accommodation, the DRADM Agreement between the instructor and student is the best way to set expectations. If an agreement form has not been completed, it is not too late to do that now. SDS encourages instructors with questions to confer with them about DRAMD.)
• Communication: Has the student communicated reliably with the instructor as needed?
• Documentation: If the student’s longer absence (more than 1-2 class periods) was related to an emergency, excused activity, medical or mental health reason, did the student provide appropriate documentation?

Questions about the course structure, level, and size:

• Course Structure: Does each part of the course build on earlier components, with the learning outcomes depending on a linear progression of mastery?
• Course Structure: Can the student reenter the course and finish it without making up all missed assignments while still being able to achieve the course’s learning outcomes? 
• Course Structure-Applied Learning: Do students in the course generally learn through interactive and applied, systemic skill building and/or practice during the class? Can this learning be “made up” in a short experiences or alternative activities outside of class?
• Course Level and Outcomes: Does the student have enough prior knowledge about the subject matter, perhaps from related courses, to successfully complete the course and to achieve competency in its learning outcomes with little additional instructional support?
• Course Size: What approach to helping a student would enable the same opportunities to be extended to others in similar situations (in some courses the number of students needing make up support may be very high, and equity then becomes important)?
• Course Structure-Equipment: If make-up assignments include laboratory or other special equipment or setups, how feasible is it (in terms of time, labor, and materials) to provide a reasonable make-up opportunity before the end of the semester?

In all cases, a key factor is whether the student has a reasonable chance to achieve the course learning outcomes.

INCOMPLETES

The CLAS Incomplete policy and the necessity of documentation is summarized below. CLAS requires that an Incomplete be given only if the following are met:

• The unfinished part of the student's work is small.
• The work is unfinished for reasons acceptable to the instructor.
• The student's standing in the course is satisfactory.

These requirements must be further defined by the instructor since they depend on the context of the situation.

• However, CLAS never expects faculty to tutor a student; the student must be capable of finishing the work independently.

The questions above are meant to help any instructor to decide if a student will successfully finish the Incomplete by the deadline set by the instructor and student.

Please use this form so deadlines are clear to the student:

INCOMPLETE FORM: https://clas.uiowa.edu/sites/default/files/CLAS%20UNDERGRADUATE%20INCOMPLETE%20COMPLETION%20AGREEMENT(1).pdf

Undergraduate students should also be encouraged to discuss the matter with an academic advisor and may be referred to staff in CLAS Undergraduate Programs (clasps@uiowa.edu) if the student expresses concerns related overall academic standing,  graduation requirements, or significant health problems affecting a number of courses, for example.

CLAS Undergraduate Student Academic Concern Form

The academic staff in CLAS Undergraduate Programs (120 Schaeffer Hall) have created a reporting form for instructors to use when concerns arise related to a student in one of their courses. If you have a student you are concerned about, please fill out the online reporting form. You will be asked to share your name, the student’s name, and a brief summary of the concern. You can choose whether or not to remain anonymous, and CLAS staff will determine the appropriate outreach and resources to support the student.

Graduate students should be encouraged to reach out to their CLAS Directors of Graduate Studies and the Associate Dean for Graduate Education with additional concerns and questions related to graduate student matters.