The philosophy of the staff and administration is that the purpose of a summer workshop is to teach students how to debate.
Students learn basic theory, advanced theory, topic analysis, and brief writing.
Upon completion of the course of study, students will leave with knowledge they can apply all year. Much of the time students spend at the Southwest Debate Institute is focused on developing and perfecting research skills. Students have access to the SWT library which houses over one million volumes and thousands of journals, periodicals, and government documents. Our workshop emphasizes original research skills that students can use all year and for the remainder of their debate careers. Institute faculty have a strong commitment to the educational mission of the institute.