Academic advising, well developed and appropriately accessed, is perhaps the only structured campus endeavor that can guarantee students sustained interaction with a caring and concerned adult who can help them shape such an experience. Under the guidance of an academic adviser, students can clarify the purposes of their college attendance, achieve vital personal connections with mentors, plan for the future, determine their role and responsibilities in a democratic society, and come to understand how they can achieve their potential. In this article, the authors present the essential characteristics of an effective academic advising system. When these characteristics are taken together, they offer the greatest opportunity for advising to be seen by staff, administrators, faculty, and most importantly students as central to the academic enterprise.