SFA Debate

Welcome to the home of Stephen F. Austin State University's Debate and Forensics Team. This program works to help students hone their public speaking, critical thinking, and rhetorical skills in a public forum. The Stephen F. Austin State University Debate Team competes at college-level public debate tournaments around the country. Team members have competed in tournaments in Washington, Oregon, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Maryland, and here in Texas.

SFA Debate is home to four individual national champions and six team national championships in the IPDA circuit.

Mission

Our mission is to provide an education-oriented environment for dedicated students to improve their public speaking skills through the practice of academic debate. We focus on developing skills for public address which will translate into success for graduates as they enter the workplace. We believe that debate fosters not only public speaking, but critical thinking, analysis, creativity, and social skills as well.

Membership

Any full or part-time student at SFA is welcome to attend team practice sessions. All students must sign and comply with team rules regarding proper tournament behavior before they will be permitted to travel to tournaments. All members in good standing will be permitted to travel to tournaments so long as budgetary and logistical constraints allow them.

Activities

Members of the SFA Debate Team primarily compete in International Public Debate Association (IPDA) Tournaments. This style of debate is most in keeping with our goals of creating useful public speaking skills. These tournaments are held during weekends throughout the school year, and require significant travel.

In order to provide a more inclusive and developed rhetorical education, debaters may be given the opportunity to compete in Individual Events (IEs) such as Extemporaneous, Impromptu, or Persuasive Speaking. When tournament schedules and budget permit, past debaters have also participated in Team IPDA and Parliamentary debate.

Links

Contact

The Debate Team practices each Wednesday afternoon in Boynton 105 from 4-5:30 pm. Practice is held from the first day of each Fall and Spring semester until the end of the IPDA season (early May). Please direct inquiries to our Director of Forensics, Stephen Jeffcoat.

SFASU Debate Team
Department of Communication Studies
College of Liberal and Applied Arts
Stephen F. Austin State University
Nacogdoches, TX 76962

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