Advisors abide by the specific policies, procedures and values of the department and institution for which they work. Where injustices occur and might interfere with students' learning, advisors advocate for change on behalf of students with the institution's administration, faculty, and staff. Advisors are responsible to higher education generally. In this spirit, advisors hold a variety of points of view. Academic advisors are free to base their work with students on the most appropriate and optimum theories of college student development and models of delivery for academic advising programs and services.
Advisors 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 advisor to guide students through their academic programs so they may attain the knowledge gained and offered by faculty. Academic advisors believe that it is ultimately the responsibility of students to apply what they learn to everyday situations. Advisors help students in understanding this process. Advisors advocate for students' educational achievement at the highest attainable standard and support student goals, as well as the educational mission of the institution. Advisors advocate the creation or strengthening of programs and services that are compatible with students' academic needs.