From grades to growth: Understanding undergraduate perceptions of academic success

This article, the second part of a report on the findings of a research project that was previously published Scoulas, De Groote, et al., 2024b ), explores how undergraduates perceive academic success. As a part of federally funded project, two assessments tools were developed and distributed at a public research university to explore student definitions of success and assess if they met these definitions. Findings revealed two main themes: one theme centered on tangible achievements such as achieving high grades and excelling in classes, which were ranked as top indicators of academic success, aligning with traditional views. The other focused on processes, highlighting students' ability to manage their own personal growth. The article discusses how academic libraries can utilize these findings to foster the academic success of undergraduate students. • Getting good grades and performing well in class ranked as top definition of academic success. • Getting a job was the top career goal of most students. • Students with a GPA below 2.5 defined academic success as achieving goals and passing classes. • Most students perceived they achieved academic success.