Nursing schools are limited in how many students can enter programs due to low faculty members, and faculty burnout is a concern. Nursing shortages at the bedside have encouraged strategies to increase the nursing workforce, including recruiting graduate nurses. However, insufficient faculty and student attrition are issues that prevent increasing the number of graduating nurses. Therefore, strategies to assist in the retention of students and help in developing best practices for faculty to assist in the success of current nursing students are warranted. This research explored associate degree nursing (ADN) students' perceptions of informal faculty behaviors that support academic success. The researcher conducted a exploratory qualitative phenomenological research utilizing interviews. The research was hosted online in Cisco Webex®, with a total of ten students from ADN programs in the United States. Data analysis involved a step by step process using content analysis. The research results align with the current literature on other student populations, showing that ADN students desire a supportive relationship with the instructor in a positive classroom environment. Participants described motivation and encouragement as two main informal faculty behaviors that ADN students perceive assist in academic success and help keep students in the program. [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.]