Wayne State University Speech & Debate Teams

WHY WAYNE STATE?

1) Over 100 years of excellent in forensics competition in both debate and individual events.Over the history of our program we have won almost every major tournament and numerous state and national championships. In recent years, we have reached the semifinals of CEDA and the NDT (twice), semifinals at AFA, NFA, and the Interstate Oratory Contest. We have had a NFA national champion in persuasion, won the American Debate Association national championship, won the NDT Top Speaker Award, and won the Michigan state IE and debate championship, and many other awards.

2) A coaching staff that cares about you as a student and a competitor. See our team's core values here. We care about the quality of your education and that you become a well-rounded person. Competition, while always important to us, remains second to our core mission. Additionally, our coaching staff has over 50 years experience coach some of the best competitors in the state and nation.

3) You are in the heart of Detroit's fastest growing area - Midtown. We are right next to the world-renowned Detroit Institute of the Arts, the beautiful Detroit Public Library, the Michigan Science Center, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and much more. There are new restaurants opening constantly in the area. We are a short trip down Woodward Avenue from Comerica Park, Ford Field, and the new Red Wings arena.

Many of the restaurant options in the area are listed here.

For general information about Wayne State, see http://wayne.edu/about/

Admission standards are explained at: http://comm.wayne.edu/admissions/index.php

Apply online at: http://admissions.wayne.edu/applyonline.php

Admission checklist and deadlines: http://wayne.edu/admissions/freshman/deadlines/

SCHOLARSHIPS

Speech & Debate scholarships: The team offers a variety of scholarships to potential students. These scholarships can be quite generous depending on students' commitment and experience. Apply for these scholarships by clicking here and students should contact Ron Stevenson specifically to discuss scholarship possibilities. The university is asking us to make scholarship decisions very early. Please try to apply for speech & debate scholarships by November 15.

Non-debate scholarships:

We strongly encourage our students to accept the University’s invitation to Scholars Day, if they are invited. This will make you eligible for the University's Presidential scholarship, one of our university's best scholarships. This award is given to students with excellent grades and standardized exam scores. You must apply early to the university (before January) and attend one of the Scholars Days to be eligible. More information is available at: http://scholarsday.wayne.edu/index.php

For university private scholarships, see http://www.scholarships.wayne.edu/

If you are interested in learning more about WSU’s Honor College, that information is found here http://honors.wayne.edu/

UNIVERSITY HOUSING/CAMPUS LIFE

At one time, Wayne State was a commuter -school only. In the last 12+ years, the university has built three brand-new undergraduate housing buildings. Housing is suite-style living (2 people per room, your own bathroom, bunk or loft beds). Additionally, the University is spending a great deal of money in developing on-campus activities to meet the demands of this on-campus population. As a result, we have brand-new workout/gym facilities, restaurants, and recreation options. Various housing information can be found here https://housing.wayne.edu/

If you have additional questions, please contact Ron Stevenson at  rstevenson@wayne.edu   call (313) 577-2943.

TEAM EXPECTATIONS AND RULES

Before joining us, please read our team policies, expectations, and rules. Your ability to participate and receive awards and scholarships may be affected by your adherence to these policies and rules. 

GRADUATE STUDENTS

We are always looking for excellent graduate students to serve as graduate assistant coaches to our forensics program. Our department offers 5 graduate assistantships (3 in debate, 2 in individual events) for students pursuing their MA or Ph.D. in Communication Studies.

The assistantships are very generous and competitive. You receive tuition waiver, monthly stipend, health and dental insurance (because of the strength of the graduate union, you receive the exact same benefits as faculty), and no teaching requirements (although you can in the summer for extra money).

We have excellent general communication, journalism, media arts, organizational com, public relations, and social influence areas of focus.

Masters Students: http://comm.wayne.edu/ma/index.php

PhD Students: http://comm.wayne.edu/phd/index.php

WSU Graduate School: https://wayne.edu/gradschool/

Deadlines for applying are here: http://comm.wayne.edu/admissions/index.php

Please contact me at rstevenson@wayne.edu or the communicaon office 313-577-2943 if you are interested.

Deadline for applications is early January.