Advisers abide by the specific policies, procedures, and values promulgated by the department and the University of Texas at Austin. Where injustices occur which might interfere with students' learning, advisers advocate for change on behalf of students with the institution's administration, faculty and staff. Advisers are responsible to higher education generally. In this spirit, advisers hold a variety of points of view. Academic advisers are free in an advising relationship to base their communications with students on theories of college student development and models of delivery for academic advising programs and services which they find enrich their practice and enable students to reach their goals.
Advisers accept that one of the goals of education is to introduce students to the world of ideas.
One goal of academic advising is to establish a partnership between student and adviser to guide students through their academic programs so they may obtain the knowledge gained and offered by faculty. Academic advisers believe that it is ultimately the responsibility of students to apply what is learned to everyday situations. Advisers assist students in understanding this process. Advisers advocate for students' educational achievement at the highest attainable standard and support student goals, as well as the educational mission of the institution. Advisers advocate the creation or strengthening of programs and services that are compatible with students' academic needs.