Skip to main content.
Bard CCE
Bard College |      
Bard CCE
  • Bard
  • Campus and Community sub-menuCampus and Community
    CCE on Campus and in the Community

    Engaging student leaders and local changemakers.

    Get Involved
    • Student-Led Initiatives
      • Trustee Leader Scholar (TLS)
      • Election@Bard
      • Community Action Awards
      • Voices of Action
      • Outreach Themes:
      • Science  |  Math
      • Arts  |  Athletics
    • Community Outreach
      • Community Partners
      • Bard Debate Union
      • Bard Sanctuary Fund
      • Brothers at Bard
      • West Point–Bard Initiative
      • La Voz
      • MLK Day of Engagement
      • L&T Engagement
  • Classroom sub-menuIn the Classroom
    CCE in the Classroom

    Connecting coursework and citizenship.

    • Academic Programs
    • Engaged Liberal Arts and Sciences Courses
    • International Network Courses
    • Citizen Science
    • Engaged Research
    • Lifetime Learning Institute
    • Certificate in Civic Engagement
  • U.S. Network sub-menuU.S. Network
    CCE's U.S. Network'

    Increasing access to liberal arts and sciences education in the United States.

    • U.S. Programs
    • Bard Early Colleges
    • Bard Prison Initiative
    • Microcolleges
    • Clemente Course in the Humanities
  • International Network sub-menuInternational Network
    CCE's International Network'

    Linking students and faculty in a global network to foster learning and the exchange of ideas.

    • International Network
    • International Partners
    • International Network Courses
    • Study Away
    • Global Civic Engagement

    • Global Debate
    • Study of the U.S. Institutes
    • IWT International
    • Resources
  • About CCE sub-menuAbout CCE
    About CCE

    A private college for the public good.

    • Who We Are
    • Staff
    • Board of Advisers
    • Affiliated Centers
    • Contact Us
    • What We Do
    • Mission
    • Newsroom
    • Events Calendar
    • Our Impact
    • Resources
    • OSUN
    • Carnegie Classification
    • CCE COVID-19 Response
    • Principles of Equity
  • Resources sub-menuResources

    Take action.
    Make an impact.
    Get involved.

    • CCE Resources
    • Civic Engagement Resources
    • ELAS Resources
    • Policies + Forms
    • Publications
  • Support CCE
  • Search
Main Image for Bard Debate Union

Bard Debate Union

Civic engagement is the central function
of a university debate program
Through public debates and work with our local communities and the national and international Bard networks, Bard debaters come to see debate as much more than competition; rather, debate becomes an assertion of civic participation and global citizenship par excellence—an empowering and productive way of engaging from campus to the global stage.

Visit the Debate Union Website
Civic Discourse - Dialogue - Debate
Photo by Sarah Wallock '19

Civic Discourse - Dialogue - Debate

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. —Aristotle

The Bard Debate Union is committed to promoting the values of civic discourse, dialogue, and debate on Bard’s campus, in the local community, and across the Bard Network.

Debate teaches students how to articulate and defend their positions and how to listen to the positions of others. Moving beyond opinion and ideology, debate addresses one of the critical questions of our time:

How can citizens more effectively understand both sides of an issue and speak responsibly about difficult topics?

What We Do

Bard Debate Union members:

  • Travel to and compete in intercollegiate debate tournaments
  • Host public debates on campus
  • Participate in Bard international network debates
  • Conduct outreach in local middle and high schools
Whether you like to speak your mind or to argue just for the sake of arguing, the Bard Debate Union will have you thinking outside the box.
 

Discover More

Bard College Hosts Eighth Annual Middle and High School Debate Tournament

Bard College Hosts Eighth Annual Middle and High School Debate Tournament

The Bard Debate Union together with the Center for Civic Engagement hosted the Eighth Annual Middle and High School Debate Tournament at Bard College. More than 80 students representing eight schools throughout the Hudson Valley attended the competition. Competitors took on such topics as: whether the United Nations should be abolished or whether social media use is positive or negative. Bard students worked with participants over the course of the day to refine their arguments and improve their delivery.

Full Story

Bard College Center for Civic Engagement
Bard College
Campus Road, PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 12504-5000
[email protected]
©2019 Bard College
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Civic Engagement
  • Campus and Community
  • In the Classroom
  • U.S. Network
  • International Network
  • About Bard CCE
  • Newsroom
Member Resources
  • Submit an Event to CCE
  • CCE Network Resources
Have an Idea? Get Started
Support Bard CCE
Give to CCE Now!