Stephen F. Austin State University

Stephen Jeffcoat, director of forensics at Stephen F. Austin State University, has been named president of the International Public Debate Association for the next four years.

Jeffcoat is a life member of the SFA Alumni Association, having graduated with his B.A. in 1996 and his M.A. in 1998.

As president of the IPDA, Jeffcoat is one part of a three-member body that oversees and coordinates the administrative functions of the organization.

"Executive committee members are chosen because they possess a passionate commitment to the underlying philosophical principles of the IPDA," the association's Web site states. "The members of this small administrative body are firmly committed to the ideal of academic debate as a communicative, audience-centered activity."

As president, Jeffcoat will lead business meetings, promote the IPDA and its goals, and serve as the primary spokesperson and liaison for the organization.

Jeffcoat delivered his presidential address April 1 at the IPDA National Tournament in Shreveport, La., promising to work on several things during his tenure in office.

"First, I plan to continue my work at expanding the IPDA into new regions of the country," he said. "Exposing our students to debate in other regions helps their growth in the activity and makes them better."

Last year Jeffcoat served as director fo a collegiate Pi Kappa Delta debate tournament held in Seattle, Wash. He also supported and attended new IPDA tournaments in Washington State and Florida this year.

"I plan to serve as editor of a second edition of the IPDA debate textbook," he said. "The first edition that I co-edited with Arkansas State's Keith Peterson was published in 2006. The text is titled 'Public Debate: A Guidebook to IPDA.'"

Finally, Jeffcoat said he will work to make the new IPDA Journal a refereed journal -- which means every article in the publication will have been reviewed and approved by academic experts in the field.

"Doing so will add to the IPDA's reputation in the academic community," he said.

Jeffcoat is the first person in the history of the organization to hold all three top offices, having served as executive secretary from 2003-2004, managing director from 2004-2007 and now president.

Prior to academia, Jeffcoat spent a decade working in the advertising/corpora e communications department of a Fortune 500 company in the Dallas area. During that time he developed projects for both national and international accounts.

Jeffcoat teaches courses in public speaking, persuasion, and argumentation and debate. He also serves as the university's director of forensics. In this role he is responsible for overseeing SFA's debate team and for administering the Waldo Miller Debate Scholarships.

Under his guidance, the team has received numerous awards including four IPDA varsity and two IPDA open national championships. Additionally, four of his students have won the IPDA national championship tournament