Because of the vast nature of the work of Ernest Boyer and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, it is appropriate to highlight specific ideas related to the basic course in communication and offer a response. First, further research must be done to determine the extent to which the basic communications course enhances student skills. Second, communication scholars have allowed the importance of their discipline to decrease in the perceptions of their colleagues and students; scholars must emphasize the importance of speech in all disciplines. Third, communication scholars have not required students to develop critical insights into contemporary problems. Fourth, there is little research done to support the teaching of basic communication courses. Fifth, communications scholars have been negligent in taking their ideas to other disciplines. Sixth, communication scholars should do more to teach with advancement of knowledge as a goal in the basic communications course. Seventh, communication scholars must rely less on graduate student assistants in the teaching of the basic course. Eighth, communication scholars must do more to reward innovative approaches to teaching speech. Ninth, applying what scholars know about communication practice and theory should be the goal of all communication educators, especially those involved in the basic course. (TB)