Canvas courses move into a read-only “concluded” state at the end of the semester in which they are delivered. At that time, students can no longer complete course work in their Canvas courses. However, an instructor can request specialized Canvas access for a student to fulfill an Incomplete. OIT Teaching and Learning Technologies processes all Incompletes requests through the Office of the University Registrar; without Registrar approval, Canvas course access is not provided. The Registrar will not give approval for an Incomplete until after grades are due and the “I” grade has been officially entered for the affected student.

Once the request is approved, a new section labeled Incompletes is created within the Canvas course in which the student was originally registered. The affected student and instructor are added to the Incompletes section, which is open and active for a set period of time. No other students in the course see the Incompletes section; the Canvas course site remains closed from their point of view.

What information is needed to request an Incompletes section in Canvas? 

When requesting Canvas access for an incomplete, please include:

1. The student’s name and NetID (not Student ID).
2. The Canvas course name/number (preferably, the course name as it displays in Canvas) in which the student was originally registered.
3. An End Date for course access.
   • The Office of the University Registrar allows a full year after the final day of class for an incomplete to be replaced with a grade, but many instructors require that Incompletes be completed sooner). Incomplete sections cannot be created without a valid End Date.
   • The End Date can be changed later, should the student need more time–as long as it’s within the year after the final day of the class with the incomplete.

Now that the Incompletes section in my Canvas course has been created, how do I assign things only to the student with the Incomplete?

The Canvas course as a whole remains in its inactive state, with only the new Incompletes section being active. To open an Assignment, Discussion, or Quiz/Exam for the students with the Incomplete: 

1. Edit the Assignment, Discussion, or Quiz to be assigned.
2. Use the “+ Assign To” button to add a set of due dates/times for the Incomplete student. 
   • Replacing dates that are already set will cause grades to disappear for the rest of the class. Always add a new, separate set of dates for students who need access to an item after the item’s original due date.
   • When set correctly, each updated graded Assignment/Discussion/Quiz will have two sets of Due Dates: one set for “INCOMPLETES”, and one for “Everyone Else”. 
3. Choose the “INCOMPLETES” section, rather than the specific student. This is what allows the Assignment/Quiz to be active outside of its original Term. 
   • If a 0 or an EX was added for a grade that an Incomplete student missed, that grade will have to be removed, or an additional attempt granted. 

Why can’t I just add a student to a version of the Canvas course being given in the current semester?

Students can only be added to for-credit Canvas courses if they are officially registered for that course. Adding a student to a course they are not registered for would be a FERPA violation, and it would also raise issues of legal liability. OIT works in cooperation with the Office of the University Registrar to prevent FERPA violations and other legal issues. All course registration questions should be directed to the Office of the University Registrar at registrar@utk.edu.

What about courses in which the instructor who taught it is no longer available?

In those instances, the Department Head, the Course Coordinator, or a designated colleague can be added to the concluded Canvas course along with the student with the incomplete so that the work can be completed by the student.

How do these guidelines affect labs? Lab sections often require student collaboration and I would prefer that they participate in a lab during the current semester.

Students should not be attending and participating in lab sections for which they did not register. As a result, some departments have begun removing labs from the Incompletes process and are instead requiring those labs to be retaken if a student cannot attend the labs and complete lab work within the registered semester.

I have a student that I’d like to retake my course with a different modality, or just retake a course without re-registering for it. Why can’t I add that student to my Canvas course?

Students can only be added to for-credit Canvas courses if they are officially registered for that course. Please contact the Office of the University Registrar at registrar@utk.edu for further guidance and information.

Can students request their own Incompletes sections in Canvas?

Incompletes requests are an instructor-driven process. Students cannot request an Incompletes section—only instructors or departments can.