JUST SUCK IT UP. Cousin Eddie (via Kelly in Kansas) has a bit of advice for incoming students.

This means that I am probably intelligent enough to devise a course that will enable you to gain sufficient mastery of the material (if you try). This also means that all of the assignments I give you have a purpose. You should take the time to do the assignments, and do them properly. Oh, and coming to class? You should probably try it.

My job is not only to help you learn the course material, but also to prepare you for life. In the real world, most employers will not accept tardiness, late assignments, or excuses. I do not either. Your grades should be earned, not given to you.

When you screw up and miss class (without a legitimate excuse), or do not turn in assignments, or miss an 11:30am exam because you "overslept," do not come to me with a slew of inadequate excuses. One of life's tough lessons is that you are now an adult who must learn to live with the consequences of your actions.

I'm tempted to borrow extensively from this as supplemental course information for my upcoming courses. With Blackboard, it's easy enough to put it up as an announcement, without going to all the trouble of laying out a table of sanctions for violations.