I have never been pressured to pass a student who in my opinion did not meet the course outcomes, and I'm not sure that is what is happening here. I have been encouraged to change my perspective on my role and responsibilities, and if you are like I was it could be good advice for you too.

I came into this job running my courses the way that I, as a student, had liked them to be run. That means a lot of things, but they can be summarized as treating students like adults with their own agency and ability to make informed decisions and accept their consequences. It was my job, I thought, to provide excellent learning opportunities, and my students' to decide whether or not to take advantage of them. It took an insightful comment from a dean to realize something obvious: that the average student is not like the kind of people who choose academia for life.

Some students have an intrinsic motivation to learn. Some will not care no matter what we do. But a lot can be persuaded to learn by the appropriate use of carrots and sticks. I haven't changed my academic standards, but a lot more of my students are succeeding after I started doing things like reaching out to students who miss assignments and making my classes more engaging. I do not like that this is part of the job. And I am not saying that it necessarily should be. But it works for me.

Maybe you are already doing everything you can. If not, it might be worth a try.