The CBC Debate program includes Communication Studies 141, 142, and 143, and Debate I, II, and III, which are two-credit classes offering a sequence of instruction and practice in argumentation and debate. The class addresses several styles of debate with particular emphasis on Parliamentary Debate as defined by the National Parliamentary Debate Association. Students are encouraged to keep abreast of current events through a variety of news sources on a daily basis.

The classes are coordinated with the CBC Speech Debate Team, an extra-curricular activity with funding through the student government at CBC. Students in the debate classes are encouraged to join the traveling team, but students do not have to be enrolled in any Communication Studies class to participate in the CBC Speech Debate Team.

The team provides students with individual coaching and interscholastic competition in platform speeches, oral interpretation in three genres, and parliamentary debate. All individual speakers must adhere to the National Individual Event Tournament rules for individual events. The team usually travels to two or three tournaments each quarter. Students can improve their communication skills, make friends within the forensics community, and compete for awards. The CBC team participates in tournaments throughout the Pacific Northwest from October through February each year. In March, there is a regional competition followed by separate national competitions for debate and individual events. In April, the CBC team competes in the Northwest Forensics Conference Community College Championships Tournament. A final tournament with no national recognition is available in May each year.

The CBC Speech Debate Team is a member of the Northwest Forensics Conference, the National Parliamentary Debate Association, and the American Forensics Association Individual Event Tournament.

The CBC Speech Debate Team was organized in response to students' requests for the opportunity to participate in competitive speaking at forensic tournaments in the Pacific Northwest.