Call for Summit and Developmental Conference

A Debate Summit and Development Conference

Sponsored by

American Forensics Association (AFA)
National Debate Tournament (NDT)
Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA)
American Debate Association (ADA)

at

Wake Forest University • Winston-Salem, NC

June 5-7, 2009, following the CEDA Summer Meetings (June 2-5) at WFU

The initiative for a national development conference for policy debate emerged from the National Debate Tournament (NDT) Board of Trustees through conversations with the NDT Committee and the leadership of the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA). This conference will mark the third national development conference for intercollegiate debate in the last half century. Previously, college debate educators have convened in Sedalia, CO at the Sedalia Retreat House in 1974 and in Evanston, IL at Northwestern University in 1984.

The conference is a forum for active coaches and directors to examine commonality on a host of issues related to intercollegiate policy debate and the coaching profession. One of the primary goals of the conference is to draft and publish a "State of the Debate Vocation" which addresses the following themes:

• Professional Development, Research, and Advancement
• Innovation, Practice, and the State of the Art
• Community and Organization Building
• The Rationale and Agenda for Policy Debate in the 21st Century

A productive conference will require the energetic participation of all members of the debate community-present and past-who find virtue in the power of a debate education.  If you are interested in chairing or serving as a member of the working groups which emerge from these themes send an email of self nomination to debatesummit@gmail.com by January 15th, 2008. 

Conference Director
Allan D. Louden, Wake Forest University

Steering Committee
Timothy O'Donnell, University of Mary Washington (co-chair)
Gordon Stables, University of Southern California (co-chair)
Gordon Mitchell, University of Pittsburgh
Sue Peterson, California State University, Chico
Jeffrey Jarman, Wichita State University

Distinguished Advisory Committee
Robin Rowland, University of Kansas
Thomas Hollihan, University of Southern California
David Zarefsky, Northwestern University