Really? The schools closed down for "months," and those students can never catch up now? Many homeschoolers who never attended a single day of school for 12 years do well in college. Many of those who do well were self-taught.
If school kids aren't doing well academically, the pandemic lockdowns and closures weren't the reason.
"At this point, over 80 percent of colleges no longer require the submission of standardized test scores for admission. Of course, universities (ostensibly) abandoned the use of these measures in an attempt to be understanding, fair, and equitable."
"Equity" was not the reason why colleges began dropping the SAT requirement 10 years ago. At the time, all kinds of people were complaining about the SAT, and the word "equitable" was not thrown around in the arguments I heard. I was paying close attention because I was a big believer in test scores as equalizers, so all my kids took that test. Other people hated that test. Truth be told, many smart students first go to community college and transfer later to universities where they do very well. No SAT scores are required from transfer students (with a few exceptions). The reason colleges require SAT scores from freshmen is the bragging rights. Colleges are ranked according to their freshman classes, and SAT scores are part of that ranking.
"When students complain about unfair grading practices or unmeetable expectations, will professors and institutions hold fast, or will they crumble and sink?"
Many professors (especially in mathematics) have no problem flunking students. Some students take courses (such as calculus) twice before they pass. Remember, in college, students drop and withdraw from courses when they're not doing well. Then, they take those courses again later.
IMHO, college education has gone downhill, but not for the reasons some people seem to believe.