Validation Experiences and Persistence among Community College Students

The purpose of this correlational research was to examine the extent to which community college students' experiences with validation by faculty (Rendon, 1994, 2002) predicted: (a) their sense of integration, and (b) their intent to persist. The research was designed as an elaboration of constructs within Tinto's (1993) Longitudinal Model of Institutional Departure. Four sub-constructs of faculty validation emerged: students known and valued, caring instruction, appreciation for diversity, and mentoring. Students who experienced higher levels of faculty validation were more likely to feel a sense of integration in the college; faculty validation modestly predicted students' intent to persist.