The Program. The James Madison University debate program is open to any undergraduate in academic good standing. The program operates within the School of Speech Communication and is supported in many ways by the larger university community. JMU Debaters travel to tournaments all over the country and succeed in all levels of competition. Recently our Varsity squad faired well in the National Debate Tournament.

Factuly Involvement. Professor Pete Bsumek, who debated at the University of Utah, is the Director of Debate. Pete received his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh where he studied rhetorical theory, environmental rhetoric, and argumentation. He has coached several teams to the National Debate Tournament, NDT.

A Special farewell to our Assistant coach Eric Jenkins. Not only did he coach nationally competitive teams, Jenkins also found the best places to hold end of the year squad parties. His talent and his charisma will be missed.

Not to be outdone, Andrew Barnes, previously of Wake Forest and Clarion University fame, looks to add his card cutting skills and teaching ability to the squad.

Academic Credit and University Support. All students involved with debate receive academic credit by registering for SCOM 318, Practicum in Human Communication. The grade will factor into your cumulative GPA. Most students who are active in the program receive an A for their hard work and commitment.

The University supports JMU debate by providing us a travel budget and arranging for faculty to work with the program. Debate at JMU is not a club or social organization. The University supports a regionally and nationally competitive program.

Overview of JMU. The university offers over 50 undergraduate programs for the 15,000 students who are enrolled at JMU. The 2002 US News & World Report ranking of American universities listed JMU as first among public southern regional universities. This ranking includes universities which offer primarily undergraduate and masters programs of study. JMU was also ranked 2nd in rankings of public and private southern regional universities. The student/faculty ratio is 18:1.

For a more comprehensive look at some of the national recognition JMU has garnered, click here.

Contact Information. If you should ever have any questions or comments please, feel free to contact us at any time.

Dr. Pete Bsumek
Director of Debate
School of Speech Communication Studies
MSC 2106
Modular Building, Room 139
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Phone: (540) 568-3386
James Madison University
Email: bsumekpk@jmu.edu

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