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. (Contains 9 tables, 2 figures, and 1 footnote.)