Just drop

I have a problem with a student, "X." X has not turned in a single one of the three homeworks that have been due (and I assume on Friday I can upgrade that to four), but has come to most of the lectures (X has missed three or four). I have sent X emails several times to stay after class or come talk to me at some point about this, and every time X has managed to duck out of class while I'm talking to someone else, evading me.

Turns out there are several problems, as I went to the chair to discuss this yesterday. First, X is a sophomore, so shouldn't even be taking my class. He's an athlete, which means he has a different advisor from other majors (although I also noticed that X has not declared this has his major), and thus that is the source of the problems here. Also, it turns out he didn't turn in the homework for the class that the chair teaches,* so at least it's not only a problem in my class.

But really the big problem I have is with the blatant refusal to discuss this problem with me. I have to say, it would be completely within my rights to ignore the issue, send in an "F" during midterm grade reporting, and just fail the student if that is what it comes to. I think that is wrong, and thus am more than willing to work with the students to ensure they do not fail (without going overboard, of course). Since he refuses to speak with me, I need to now contact his advisor, which honestly I do not want to do, because I think I have better things to do with my time.

What I would like is to be able to just unilaterally drop him from the course. If (and note the big IF) he scores perfectly on everything from now on, he'll get a "C." I would like X to just drop the class, for his own sake (and quite honestly, perhaps if atheletics is such a major part of his life, I would personally advise him to drop science as a major).

I will not rant on the serious issues involved with athletics here, because I've done so before, and I do realize it will never go away.

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* As a sidenote, I find it interesting that while I have had three assignments turned in during the first month of the semester, the chair has had only one.