Student Organizations

Intercollegiate Debate Program

The Intercollegiate Debate Program at the University of Nevada, Reno was founded in 1928 by Robert Griffin and University President Walter Clark. Now part of the Department of Communication Studies, the program continues to sharpen the oratory skills of students and prepare them to become leaders in the community. The team won a National Championship in 2009, has been ranked as a top 20 team in the nation for several years running and hosted the 2013 National Championship. Any students interested in becoming a member should contact the director of forensics, Phil Sharp and follow the team on Facebook.

Nevada Debate Union

The Nevada Debate Union was founded in 2008, as a student-run club focused on strengthening public speaking on campus and in the community. Our projects include a fall and a spring public debate, support of local high school speech and debate programs and integration of competitive forensics and civic engagement. The club actively searches for additional opportunities to connect with the community and spread the educational benefits of forensics. Anyone interested in finding more information can find the Nevada Debate Union on Facebook.

Lambda Pi Eta

Lambda Pi Eta is the official national undergraduate honors society for communication majors. Eligible students must have completed at least 60 semester hours in college with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and must have completed at least 12 semester hours in communication courses with at least a 3.25 GPA in those courses. Additionally, to be considered, students must demonstrate a commitment to the field of communication and be currently enrolled in good academic standing at the University of Nevada, Reno. Members inducted annually.

As an organization, Lambda Pi Eta strives to:

• Recognize, foster and reward outstanding achievement in communication
• Stimulate interest in the field
• Promote and encourage professional development among communication majors
• Provide an opportunity to discuss and exchange ideas within the field of communication
• Establish and maintain closer relationships between faculty and students
• Explore options for graduate education in communication

For more information, please visit the National Communication Association's Lambda Phi Eta page.

Tennley Vik currently advises the local chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, Sigma Mu. Department of Communication Studies students interested in joining should contact her at tvik@unr.edu.