As the function of advising has shifted across the higher education landscape, the role of the academic advisor has also evolved. This chapter explores historic and emerging trends in the roles, functions, and professionalization of academic advising, while stressing the need for institutions to situate academic advising within their learning and teaching mission. Drawing from literature surrounding the theories and contexts of academic advising as a profession, as well as research and resources from NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising (NACADA), information surrounding the impact and influences of the role of the academic advisor on student success and equity will be addressed alongside the contexts around which the work takes place.