Texting as a form of communication has become universal. Its impact on the student experience in the university setting cannot be ignored, particularly as it relates to academic advising and retention. Given the expected decline in the college-going student population, universities are placing emphasis on academic advising given its high correlation with retention. Vincent Tinto's theory of student departure serves as the theoretical framework for this mixed methods study which examined student interactions with advisor via text as a factor of integration and its influence on the student's intent to persist. The explanatory sequential research study employed an online survey as well as semi-structured interviews. Results indicate a significant and positive correlation between the interaction a student has with an academic advisor via text and their intent to persist, although the amount of texting that occurred did not significantly affect their intent to persist. Additionally, the semi-structured interviews suggest specific motives lead to students texting with an advisor. Furthermore, texting impacts the relationship between a student and advisor and does, to some extent, impact the student's intent to persist. [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.]