Mission

Debate at the University of Mary Washington is a co-curricular activity that supports the College’s mission of providing undergraduates with a broad liberal education as preparation for citizenship and career. As an educational enterprise, debate has been central to the pursuit of excellence in liberal learning for more than twenty-five hundred years. A debate education hones the skills of civic engagement and democratic participation, by enhancing communication skills, generating critical thought and reflection on the significant public issues of the day, and promoting in-depth study and rigorous research on a wide variety of complex subjects. The Debate Program at UMW provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to enhance their educational experience by participating in a wide variety of debating activities including intercollegiate debate competitions and public debate exhibitions.