Incompletes, Final Exams, and Grades
Incompletes
As stated in the Academic Standards and Regulations section of the Bowdoin College Catalogue and Academic Handbook, "The College expects students to complete all course requirements as established by instructors. In unavoidable circumstances (personal illness, family emergency, etc.) and with approval of the student’s dean and the instructor, a grade of Incomplete may be recorded." Incompletes are typically only approved in the last ten days of the semester due to an episodic event.
Students must initiate the incomplete grade process by contacting their student dean on or before the last day of classes which is Wednesday, May 8 for the spring 2024 semester.
An Incomplete represents a formal agreement among the instructor, a dean, and the student for the submission of unfinished coursework under prescribed conditions. If approved, “the Incomplete Agreement Form is signed by all necessary individuals, and a date is set by which time all unfinished work must be submitted. In all cases, students are expected to finish outstanding coursework in a period of time roughly equivalent to the period of distraction from their academic commitments. In no case will this period of time extend beyond the end of the second week of classes of the following semester.”
At the end of the grading period, any student for whom a grade has not been submitted and a signed Incomplete Form has not been received will automatically be given a grade of F. Any student subsequently wishing to contest an F received under these circumstances must petition the Recording Committee. Contact your student dean if you have questions and/or wish to request an Incomplete. If you need additional assistance, stop by the Office of the Dean of Students on the second floor of Moulton Union or call (207) 725-3149.
Bowdoin's policy is that all academic work, except for final examinations, final papers, final lab reports, and final projects, is due on or before the last day of classes; although instructors may set earlier deadlines, they may not set later deadlines. The last day of spring 2024 classes is Wednesday, May 8.
Bowdoin's policy is that all final academic work, including final examinations, final papers, final lab reports, and final projects, is due at or before 5:00 pm EST on the last day of the final examination period; although instructors may set earlier deadlines, they may not set later deadlines. The last day of the spring 2023 final exam period is Saturday, May 18. No work may be submitted after this date without a formal Incomplete Agreement in place.
Spring 2024
- Final exam times are assigned based on each course's timeblock.
The "Bunching" Rule: students with three or more final exams in two consecutive days may reschedule one for a day mutually agreeable to the student and the instructor. This policy, found in detail in the Bowdoin College Catalogue and Academic Handbook, only applies to final exams being held in-person during the scheduled final exam block; it does not apply to take-home exams, papers or projects, even if they are due in the exam block. Students receive an email towards the end of each semester detailing the process for rescheduling a final exam under the "bunching" rule.
List of Spring 2024 Final Exams Eligible for Rescheduling (PDF) - coming soon.
Looking ahead to Fall 2024:
- Final exam times are assigned based on each course's timeblock.
- Fall 2024 Final Exam Rotation
- Fall 2024 Final Exam Assignments (coming soon)
- In the third week of each semester, final exam details will be in Polaris and Classfinder.