Students Who Engage, Learn & Lead (SWELL)

WHAT IS SWELL & WHO IS IT FOR? 

SWELL stands for Students Who Engage, Learn & Lead, and it is a student engagement initiative designed for incoming first-year freshmen and transfer CSE students. The program started in 2019, and its goal is to engage students with the CSE Department and UC San Diego community to foster student involvement during the first academic year and beyond. SWELL is dedicated to helping first year CSE students navigate all of the resources that UCSD has to offer, as well as creating opportunities for students to build new connections with their peers.

The program is open, by application, to all first year CSE freshmen and CSE transfer students. It runs the duration of your first year at UCSD, throughout the Fall, Winter and Spring quarters, in a cohort format. All students who complete the SWELL program will earn validation on their Co-Curricular Record for their participation in SWELL: a great way to highlight your involvement!

What is the Co-Curricular Record (CCR)?

The Co-Curricular Record (CCR) is an official university record that highlights student involvement and achievements in opportunities beyond the classroom. Students can request the Co-Curricular Record (CCR) with the academic transcript through the Registrar or print an unofficial PDF copy through the CCR Portal. The CCR showcases a brief description and the competencies developed and can be shared with employers and graduate/professional schools. 

Each entry has the activity name, the position held, a short description of the opportunity, and the competencies developed. Students can choose which items they want to have printed on each instance of their CCR.

Opportunities on the CCR have been verified by the CCR Evaluation Committee, and student involvement has been validated by a recognized staff or faculty member.

Log in to the CCR Portal at myccr.ucsd.edu 

View a full list of CCR recognized opportunities at https://elt.ucsd.edu/ccr/approved.html

Students Who Engage, Learn, and Lead (SWELL) is a CCR recognized program that focuses on the competencies of self-reflection, teamwork, and cross-cultural collaboration.

The main components of the program include event attendance, quarterly workshops and peer-networking opportunities for first-year CSE students. In order to complete the SWELL program, participants are expected to:

• Attend a mandatory SWELL cohort workshop every quarter

• Attend a total of 2 pre-approved UC San Diego involvement opportunities, workshops or events every quarter (for a total of 6 opportunities)

• Attend a coffee chat every quarter with a SWELL guide or with other SWELL participants 

Please refer to the graphic at the bottom of the page to find the mandatory SWELL dates and deadlines for the 2023-2024 academic year. 

During SWELL, you will be introduced to a wide variety of campus resources that will help you take advantage of all that UC San Diego has to offer, all the while building friendships and connections with your peers through cohort meetings and optional social events!

WHY SHOULD I GET INVOLVED?

Did you know that studies have found student involvement in co-curricular experiences is positively related to academic performance, well-being, and leadership? (Center for the Study of Student Life, 2020). Getting involved and engaging in opportunities that you enjoy empowers you to make the most of your college experience. So if you want to get involved but don’t know where to start, SWELL is here to help!

One of the great things about attending UC San Diego is that there are so many resources available to help students throughout their educational journey. However, we know that going to a new campus, especially one as large as UCSD, can be a bit overwhelming to navigate, especially in your first year. SWELL is designed to help mitigate that issue, and allow you to kickstart your UCSD career on the right foot!

You will have a chance to connect with other first year students in your major, receive mentorship from our SWELL Guides and the Social Committee, learn where to find events and opportunities on campus, and have exclusive access to special events hosted by the CSE Department. 

Check out some of the events that our past SWELL students have attended: