The American Debate Association began in 1985 as an intercollegiate debate association. It uses the resolution selected by the Cross Examination Debate Association and the National Debate Tournament. Currently they have 40 member schools. Its current president is Danielle Verney-O'Gorman, Director of Debate at the United States Naval Academy. History The ADA was founded in 1985. The ADA was founded to emphasize the argumentation and persuasive speech elements of policy debate, and to provide a training ground for novice debaters. It was formed in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, in Virginia, Maryland, DC and Pennsylvania. Member Schools 2017-2018 Member Schools: Boston College California State University at Northridge Concordia College Emory University Florida State University George Mason University Georgetown University Harvard University Indiana University Liberty University Michigan State University Missouri State University Northwestern University Samford University Trinity University United States Naval Academy University of California – Berkeley University of Central Florida University of Central Oklahoma University of Florida University of Georgia University of Houston University of Kansas University of Kentucky University of Mary Washington University of Miami University of Michigan University of Minnesota University of Nevada at Las Vegas University of North Georgia University of Southern California University of Texas at Austin University of Texas at Dallas University of West Georgia Vanderbilt University Wake Forest University Wayne State University Wichita State University Mission and Policies The ADA's mission of increasing participation, maintaining a balance between education and competition, and ensuring an equitable and fair activity for all programs, regardless of their size or experience is facilitated by the ADA's rules and is premised on the following assumptions: 1. Debate is a controlled discussion which analyzes the substantive issues raised by a particular policy proposition. 2. Debate is a persuasive, oral communication activity in which debaters assume the obligation to communicate reasons for positions taken in a manner that is coherent, intelligible, and consistent with the limitations on human speech and listening. 3. Debate tournaments will be run efficiently, honestly, and in a manner which promotes the educational values of debating for all participants. 4. Coaches and judges are educators whose job it is to effectively prepare students to debate, to objectively and fairy evaluate rounds of competition to which they are assigned, and to behave in an ethical and professional fashion. 5. Debate is an educational activity to be engaged in by undergraduates who are officially enrolled full-time students