The college catalogue defines an incomplete as an indication of “a deferred examination or other work not completed, for reasons of health or serious emergency.” I’ll get back to that underlined part.  To receive an incomplete, students must go through the Dean of Studies, the Dean of Freshmen, or their class adviser.  The college health service may be involved, if necessary.

There are so many possible scenarios in which a student with a disability might find the need to take an incomplete at the end of the semester.  Students with learning disabilities might take longer to complete their work and find and find themselves in need of more time.  Students with anxiety disorders may have so much anxiety that it can become paralyzing and make it difficult to complete work.  Students with chronic illnesses may get sick at any time, making it more difficult to complete their work on time as well.  Each of these scenarios is likely to be worsened by the fact that it is the end of the semester when a student considers taking an incomplete.  Most students would agree that it is the end of the semester when a disability is the hardest to deal with.  The end of the semester is when the stakes are the highest academically.  I wonder, why might the dean of studies office be least flexible at a time like this? Students say that the dean of studies office does not understand that when you have a chronic disability, these sorts of scenarios can happen whenever.  One student said, “It’s not an emergency, it’s just how your life is.”

I spoke with a few students registered with AEO who have had experience with requesting to take an incomplete.  These students requested incompletes for reasons related to their disability but each of them had difficult experiences with their requests.  This is largely because of the college’s definition of an incomplete- specifically that  there must be an unexpected “emergency” to take an incomplete.  Because of this emergency policy, the Dean of Studies Office does not expect students to have to take an incomplete more than once.  This is not stated in the college catalogue.  But if these students are requesting an incomplete because of an issue due to their disability, how will they know that they won’t come across the problem they are having again? A disability is not a one-time thing, so why should it be treated that way?  Unfortunately, many students have reported that even after being granted incompletes, their deans have emphasized to them that their incomplete was a one-time thing and that they will not be allowed to take an incomplete for such reasons again.

If you do request to take an incomplete due to a disability related issue, it may be wise to first speak with someone in AEO.  If he or she is supportive of your decision, it may also be best to have him or her come to your meeting with your Dean (This is where it helps to be familiar with at least someone in AEO).  For example, if you have been seeing an academic coach who knows you well, he or she might be able to support you in your decision.  From the experience of a couple of students, I know that this has been an important factor.