The historical development of academic advising, the methods employed to provide this service, and the interrelationship of this process with other campus constituencies are examined. Academic advising in American higher education has evolved from a routine, isolated, single-purpose, faculty activity to a comprehensive process of academic, career, and personal development performed by personnel from most elements of the campus community. The most common advising delivery systems include faculty advising, professional staff advisors in advisement centers, and peer or paraprofessional advising programs. The advising and registration functions provide an effective interface for cooperative effort, and another administrative interface is consolidated under the area of student affairs. The most obvious interface in the advising program is with the faculty, primarily through development and implementation of the curriculum. Three primary conclusions are drawn from the analysis of the literature on academic advising: (1) advising cannot be done in isolation; (2) there is no single formula for a successful advising program; and (3) academic advising will play a more prominent role in the future of higher education. A bibliography and eight recommendations that could be used by institutions as they assess their advising program--including implementation of assessment studies and reward systems--are included. (SW)