This study examined community college students' engagement with faculty through a mixed methods constructivist grounded theory lens. The study utilized CCSSE data to examine existing measures of student-faculty engagement and qualitative data that centered the community college student voice. Although community colleges serve large numbers of minoritized, low-income, and first-generation students, only a fraction complete associate's degrees and/or transfer to 4-year institutions compared with the large numbers of students who intend to do so. To support successful student outcomes, institutions must meet the educational needs of this large group of adults who have been historically underserved by understanding effective practices. Student-faculty engagement has been positively linked to community college student outcomes such as graduation, persistence, completion, transfer, grades, satisfaction, learning, and more. Yet, most students do not interact with their instructors. Since the classroom is one of the primary locations of engagement for community college students, student-faculty engagement is an essential factor for student success. This study found that student need and perceptions of faculty competence and care inform students' decisions to engage with faculty. The primary premise of the theory was: "Community college students are more likely to engage with faculty they perceive to be competent instructors who care about students and students' learning." If an instructor does not act in a manner that is both competent and caring, as evidenced by faculty behaviors, participants will likely not engage with their instructors, and will engage other resources to address their needs. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]