Jun's physics professor email said: "This 30-student section's final exam average was much higher than other sections,  suggesting cheating. Your final exams will be discarded, you'll receive Incomplete grades, and you can retake the final next term". This would put Jun's schedule in chaos, and require re-studying months later. Jun did not cheat, and Jun's section was proctored like the others. But Jun feared complaining might yield worse retribution. So Jun asked for help. CSA simply notified the physics department chair, who promptly informed the prof to follow policy -- either open formal cheating cases with actual evidence, or accept those final exams. The prof accepted the finals.   
 
Much energy is spent on college student success via improved learning materials, pedagogy, cost savings, and more. But a key mostly-unaddressed barrier to student success is "academic mistreatment" like above. CSA aims to change that. 

Most professors are great. But a few do a lot of harm -- sometimes with good intentions (like preventing cheating) or simply lacking training. They may violate policy, which is common when nobody is watching. Nearly half of college students report at least one case of severe academic mistreatment -- like unfounded cheating accusations, repeated cancelling of classes, wildly-inconsistent grading, etc. It hurts hundreds of thousands of students annually, who are afraid to speak up due to the power imbalance, don't know what to do, or believe profs have free reign. It contributes to depression, poor grades, and dropout. It disproportionally hurts less-privileged students. It also impacts professors entangled in disputes or demoralized observing mistreatment, and hurts universities who grapple with low graduation rates and want happy alumni.   

CSA was formed by professors in 2021 with the mission to promote student success by promoting and protecting students' academic rights. CSA is driven by two key principles: Justice for students, and Unity between professors and students. Other student orgs exist, focused on things like domestic abuse, financial aid, lobbying for laws, but few/none on academic rights. CSA educates students as to what defines severe academic mistreatment versus normal imperfections or professors' academic freedom, so students can self-advocate. CSA educates professors too, to readily-manage courses that follow university policies and best practices. Sometimes, CSA steps in -- often just shining a light on a mistreatment case is a sufficient lever that can prevent serious student harm, as above. CSA can help calm distraught students and serve as a partner/advisor through terrifying processes like false cheating accusations, so the student does not feel entirely alone. 

Some affectionally call CSA the "Humane Society for College Students". 
 
CSA is a California-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.