Last Minute Pleas

My state U has lowered
admission standards
utill they accept ACT scores >17.

I have very mixed feelings about this.

Not that people are stupid/smart/ect.,
but I do think these score correlate to WORK ETHIC.
Hurray for finally opening the gate,
boo for taking these student's $$$ and not preparing
them for university work.

Here are some notes today from my email:

Sorry I did not have my paper up by 10. I thought you were having meetings
for two hours today but I guess I was wrong. I turned in both things to
your office. I hope this will not hurt my grade at all because my grade is
already not that great. Sorry again.

I am sorry that i am just now writing you an e-mail. Last Monday I severely
injured my back, pulling several muscles across my lower back and many along
my spine. i have been in bed for the past week, i have been to the hospital
and the best they could do was drug me up so i could at least sleep. I have
not been able to sit up to write to you. i am aware of what is due, and what i
owe you. I will have everything typed and crisp in a folder and marked. I was
hoping that I could turn that into youi on thursday along it the #2 formal
paper and the research paper. I need some time to type, i can't sit at a
computer for long periods of time. Thank you, and if you need proof of my
injury i can try and also give you copies of my hopital visit.

[From a young woman who had a poor attendence record all quarter and below standard work.]

So, I started thinking--have I gotten emails like this in the past? Have students slacked off as much in previous quarters?

No ... and I became depressed
at the beginning of the search.

To be sure, I began this quarter by asking
what's up with this new group of freshmen
BEFORE I found out about the scores.

I have, maybe, 10 people failing this quarter.
Outrageous.
And failing a student is against my grain--utterly.
But, if they absolutely do not turn in any work--what can I do?
I cannot ethically pass them.