Abstract The component of the baccalaureate degree referred to as general education is at risk. General education is losing traction in the curriculum, as calls for graduate students on a faster time schedule and a desire to produce readily employable graduates head the list of higher education objectives. Little attention is paid to how students come to understand the nature and purpose of the education they have chosen for themselves. As one of few endeavors in higher education with the capacity to reach all students, academic advising can ensure that general education is valued as essential by students who experience it.