TEACHING TIPS

This section is full of timely and evidence-based practices to apply in your teaching

As we approach the end of another semester, this week's teaching tips focus on supporting students who may be issued an "incomplete" or I grade to finish work after the last date of exams. Thank you to ITS Learning Technology's Shannon Barr for collaborating on these tips.

Incomplete grades can be a great way to offer students flexibility when they experience extenuating circumstances, and it is best for student success to be clear with them about what it entails. Incomplete grades are issued at the discretion of the instructor and provide students with a written document outlining the work that is to be completed and by when. You can read more about the incomplete grade policies for incomplete grade policies for undergraduate students and incomplete grade policies for graduate students in the University Catalog. Please keep in mind that incomplete grades can have impacts beyond your course and must be carefully considered.  

• Understanding Incomplete Grades. Incomplete grades can be issued to students, at the discretion of the course instructor, in lieu of a final letter grade on a temporary basis while a student works to complete agreed upon assignments. The incomplete grade provides students up to 6 months to submit outstanding assignments before a final grade is awarded. Students should not re-register for the class in a future term while they have an incomplete. As instructor, you must post an official final grade for the student by 6 months after the last day of exams of the semester in which the course was taken. If a final grade is not posted by the instructor at that time, it will automatically convert from an “I” incomplete grade to an “F” grade.
• Impact of Incomplete Grades beyond your Course. This blog from Inside Higher Ed provides a thoughtful reflection on the complexity of incomplete grades. It is important that students have a full understanding about the potential impacts of an incomplete grade to make informed decisions. An incomplete grade can impact other aspects of their academic experience, including but not limited to their financial aid eligibility (see UNCG’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy), progression through their major requirements or other course sequences, and considerations for a balanced workload if they’re working on deferred coursework as they’re starting a new semester. Students may benefit from speaking with an academic advisor and/or financial aid advisor to better understand the larger impacts of an incomplete grade. 
• Supporting Students after Granting Incomplete Grade. Issuing an incomplete grade should not be a surprise to students when they view their final grades. Fully discuss the incomplete grade with students prior to issuing the temporary grade in UNCGenie. Consider the realistic potential grade outcome for the student in your course if they successfully complete the deferred work and communicate that with students. Clearly identify the assignments that the student will be responsible for completing and work together to specify deadlines for the work to be completed. Ensure that the student has extended access to your Canvas course by requesting a Canvas Course Extension. Graduate students who are instructors of record will need to submit the Canvas Course Extension Request via a standard 6Tech ticket. The Canvas Course Extension process ensures that only students you specify can submit assignments after the course has ended and that it remains as view only for other students who had been registered for the course. If you have assignments that have been locked or closed by availability dates, you can set new availability dates for individual students. 

UTLC FEATURED ANNOUNCEMENTS

Check out the latest updates and offerings from the UTLC.

Led by the UNCG Provost Fellows with the UTLC, this workshop is part of a series that is open to all UNCG faculty and staff. Register below to receive full event details. Please use the Provost Fellows question form to contact the fellows about this and other initiatives. This workshop will focus on getting to know the updated UNCG syllabus template, and creating a more accessible and student-friendly syllabus. Please bring a syllabus that you would like to workshop with you.

The UTLC is excited to announce that we are now enrolling for the Spring 2025 cohort of the Auburn Teaching with AI Canvas course and have added additional seats due to high demand. This self-paced course takes 5-7 hours to complete and consists of 5 modules with engaging learning content, activities, and discussions. Participants who complete each of the discussion posts will earn the AI Experimenter badge. Completing this course is a great way to gain familiarity with AI tools, explore ethical considerations, and adjust course and assessment design. Email utlc@uncg.edu with any questions.

FACULTY ENGAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT

Check out these upcoming opportunities from the UTLC and other partners on campus. Additional training opportunities are available at workshops.uncg.edu.

Ongoing Opportunities

• DiversityEDU | This online module through Canvas offers faculty and staff skills-based development in areas of equity and diversity.

• Indigenous Safe Space Project on Canvas | This student-led initiative helps to prepare the campus community with basic skills for supporting our Indigenous and Native students.

• Level Up: Mental Health Education & Training | Help foster a culture of care by engaging in trainings for suicide prevention, Mental Health First Aid, Spartan well-being, and more.
• UNCG Libraries Webinars | Research and Application Webinar Series (Spring 2024 recordings) | Zotero Webinar Series (recordings)
• New to Teaching | Access this Canvas site to learn about how students learn, preparing for class, grading, office hours, engagement, active learning, and more.
• Safe and Trans Zone Training on Canvas | Enroll in this self-paced online course to complete Safe Zone 1.0, 2.0, and Trans Zone if you cannot attend an in-person workshop.
• Web Accessibility 101 | This asynchronous, self-paced course focuses on the fundamentals of making online content accessible.

Upcoming Events, Training, and Workshops

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