Professor: Trond Jacobsen

credits 4.00

• CRN 22632: Tuesday & Thursday, 12:00-1:20pm @ LIB 41

This course teaches students the foundations of effective argumentation and advocacy, the properties and structures that make oral arguments strong or weak, and the strategies and techniques that make speakers persuasive when engaging varied audiences. The capacity to effectively prepare, present, defend and critique arguments is life-changing and enables the realization of many other opportunities while in college and after graduation. A wide range of studies since the 1940s have identified participation in forensics activities – competitive speaking in the public sphere – better prepares students for academic and professional success than any other co-curricular activity. Students learn how to make their ideas and perspectives count as engaged participants in intellectual conversations and debates in and out of the classroom. Students participate in several in-class debates and other speaking activities. Students also have opportunities to apply their knowledge at one or more debate tournaments traveling with Oregon Forensics (at program expense) or completing an original policy advocacy research paper. The 2024-25 topic debate both in class and at tournaments is: Resolved: The United States federal government should adopt one of the following: a carbon tax, an emissions trading scheme, removal of fossil fuel subsidies, or a national public electric transmission plan.