Many developmental and proactive advising approaches used when working with students in academic difficulty emphasize the importance of students' behavioral change but rarely address societal and institutional barriers that contribute to their poor performance. With the lingering effects of a national pandemic, unstable economy, political upheaval, and social unrest, the complexity of challenges that college students encounter in their personal and academic lives will likely increase and potentially affect their academic progress. Therefore, more exploration into institutional inequity and the strategies that academic advisors use to effectively consider intersectionality, engage struggling students, and incorporate advocacy practices in their daily work is needed. This qualitative study used a structural inequality framework and interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore how academic advisors at a four-year public institution considered issues of identity, perceived institutional inequity, and advocated for students in academic difficulty. The study found that advisors are instrumental to retention and student success efforts and that their identity awareness can influence their advising practice and their relationship with students. The study also found that advisors engage in socially just practices by identifying and addressing inequities in individual student interactions and challenging policies and practices that may lead to inequitable student outcomes. Supportive leadership that values advisors' input, provides resources for students who need additional support, and invests in professional development is vital to advisors' student success and retention efforts. Overall, the findings support the use of a structural inequality framework and social justice advising approach to address institutional inequity and meet the complex needs of students in academic difficulty. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]