Student integration: an initial examination of student reports of markers of academic and social integration

The theory of student departure holds that integration is a critical component of student retention and persistence. Integration is an interactive process through which students come to be full members of the university community both academically and socially. To date, this concept has been examined and understood through poor conceptualizations and operationalizations. Instructional communication as a field is ideally situated to explore the concept of integration, which is inherently rooted in communication. Thematic analysis was used to examine student perceptions of their own academic and social integration. Results indicated students felt integrated when they fulfill their role as a student, build relationships among other institutional actors, and engage with the university. Students identified similar behaviors for both academic and social integration.