While many factors play into college student success, interaction with faculty has been identified as a key component. In highly challenging and anxiety-provoking courses, the student-faculty relationship may be all the more important. This study uses organic chemistry as a case example to investigate the role of the student-faculty relationship in such a setting. The study surveys 113 undergraduates in six organic chemistry courses to examine the relationship of student-faculty relationship to grade, course confidence, and sense of science identity. In regression analyses, student-faculty relationship positively predicted grade as well as confidence, but not science identity. Suggestions for faculty practices are offered. (Contains 5 tables.)