Professors, at least good ones, have ways of weeding them out quickly and preventing the student from wasting their time and money on a class they are not able the handle.
It sounds to me like that is what the college president was asking them to do and some professors didn't like it.
In my experience, after being called to the Dean's office and refusing to change fully earned FAILING grades, the grades somehow became Cs so as to continue students' "AID FUNDS" (READ TUITION PAYMENTS)! And, that was 40 years ago!