The general guidelines for advising relationships with graduate students are explicated within the Graduate Division's "Statement of Expectations".
From the "Statement of Expectations":
"Although students are responsible for knowing Mason rules, regulations, requirements, administrative policies and Academic Policies, faculty are encouraged to notify graduate students of deficiencies in their academic performance. This notification may be provided through grades or other means. When appropriate and if remedial measures are possible, faculty and program administrators are encouraged to provide recommendations and requirements needed to remedy their deficiencies.
It is encouraged that evaluations of student academic performance and progress be as factual and specific as possible and be shared with the graduate student within a reasonable period of time."
Doctoral candidates who complete all agreed upon coursework materials in any given semester of HIST 999 should be graded (IP) "in progress" since the dissertation document is considered "in progress" until official submission of the completed dissertation and graduation.
The registrar automatically changes these IP grades to S/NC upon completion of the dissertation per AP.3.2.1 Graduate Grading Scales.
Likewise, 799 Thesis and 998 Prospectus students may be graded (IP) once they have completed all agreed upon coursework for any given semester.
The grades will be automatically changed to S/NC (Satisfactory/No credit) once the graduation audit begins after the student submits their final document and registers for 999 (in the case of 998 students) or when the student applies to graduate (in the case of 999 and 799 students).
If a graduate student fails to produce the agreed upon coursework materials at the end of the semester, then they should be given a grade of (NC) "No credit" rather than (IP) "In Progress" or (IN) "Incomplete."