That’s a widely-noted problem—those who become college faculty are (mostly) the ones who worked really, really hard and did really, really well in college, and so that’s our norm. The norm for most college students, however, doesn’t match that, and the culture clash creates friction.
(But: As a college professor, I’m sticking with rigor no matter the friction it may cause. I understand why those without tenure may feel the need to allow more slippage, though, and am completely sympathetic with such strategies.)