When it comes to selecting climates conducive to learning, most faculty members would probably not choose large courses. There are certain aspects of those environments that make them less than ideal for quality instruction. In the case of faculty-student inter action, this is certainly true. Large courses inhibit com munication. However, given the current economic state of affairs at most colleges and universities, large courses are not likely to fall from favor. Their pragmatic economics speak an eloquent defense which will probably produce more large courses with even bigger enrollments. For this reason, large-course instructors must come to grips with the impact of these environments on teaching and learning. They must also be provided practical sugges tions that will enable them to improve communication with their students. Recently the Instructional Development Program at The Pennsylvania State University sponsored an inte grated workshop series titled "Communication: The Faculty-Student Connection." In one of the sessions, which focused on the particular challenges of communi cating with students in large courses, five environmental characteristics resulting in communication barriers and breakdowns were identified. Solutions in the form of general principles were drawn from communication literature. What the faculty participants tried to do then was to apply the principles in large courses. This paper presents the five environmental problems, the commu nication solutions, and a variety of techniques faculty suggested as ways to solve the problems and enhance communication in large classes.