Transition to Club-Level Debate
Effective as of the 2011-12 academic year, the University of Richmond's Department of Rhetoric and Communication Studies will no longer operate a department-affiliated policy debate program. Instead, the university will move to a program operated on a student club model, much like that of the university's mock trial team. The team will receive funding equivalent to that of the mock trial team, which should allow for the hiring of a part-time coach and assistance with operational expenses.
It is the recommendation of the rhetoric and communication studies faculty that the new club function as a parliamentary debate program; however, if there is a signficant groundswell of interest in creating a club-level public policy debate program, as opposed to a parilamentary debate program, faculty and staff in the School of Arts & Sciences will support the decision of the students.
This decision was initiated by the faculty and reviewed by the Arts & Sciences Dean's Advisory Council. Moving the debate program out of the Department of Rhetoric and Communication Studies will allow the department to better leverage its resources, contributing to the continued education of all students with an interest in the academic discipline of rhetoric and communication studies. The faculty seriously considered the learning outcomes and engagement of all students when making this decision.
Students who wish to participate in the new club-level debate program should contact Zandria Ivy to express their interest. During the spring semester, administrators and faculty will offer programming to help students transition to club-level debate.