The success of the basic course in speech communication depends largely on a vision that values the course and its place in the undergraduate curriculum; emphasizes the necessity of ongoing training and development of teaching assistants and instructors; and values scholarship that will enhance those efforts as well as improve dedication. Vision also acquaints outsiders with the group and its endeavors in a manner likely to foster appreciation and support. Contemporary studies in communication and rhetorical theory illuminate the dynamics of "visioning." Most notably, Ernest G. Bormann provides insight into what compromises a vision and how it comes into being. After more than two decades of study, Bormann continues to posit that visioning is a process in which the elements of a vision, articulated by various individuals, will "catch on and chain out." A vision illuminates what is being done well, what needs to be done better, and what remains to be done. The effectiveness and efficiency of the basic course depends, in large measure, on a vision for the course and for the staff--a commonly shared mindset pertaining to what the group is about and where it is going. Vision can be represented in the training program for graduate students, as well as in the bearing and personality of the program's director. A vision surfaces in the group's words and deeds as they continually define and redefine their purpose. (Contains 45 references.) (TB)