This article presents a speech delivered by the author for the Kent M. Christiansen Memorial Lecture series in April 2008 at Arizona State University. The author discusses why he thinks that approaches to academic advising theory and research that arises out of the humanities can be of great value to practitioners in the field of academic…

Reviews advising research from 1965 to the present and offers recommendations to improve research in the years ahead. Suggests how individual advisors, their institutions, and the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) can contribute to advising research efforts. (EV)

Describes efforts colleges should be making to promote student retention, especially for first-year students. Learning communities are needed to connect students, faculty members, and staff to involve them actively in shared learning activities. Academic advising must be an integral part of the first-year experience. (SLD)

A healthy advising program serves as a useful vehicle for faculty development. An institution may use the program to develop faculty skills useful in other contexts than the individual student's welfare. Advising programs should endeavor to improve students, faculty, and the institution. (MSE)

Ways in which undergraduate education is changing in terms of student diversity, financing, and time required for graduation are discussed, and ways these changes affect academic advising are considered. It is suggested that colleges provide faculty advisors with specific training and make advising an official and evaluated aspect of faculty…