The basic course is under increased pressure to complete assessments that report student achievement and learning outcomes, and the results often have funding implications (Liefner, 2003; U.S. Department of Education, 2006). Many of these assessments rely primarily on quantitative forms of data collection and analysis (Morreale, Backlund, Hay & Moore, 2011). However, these reports are only a partial portrayal of the student experience since quantitatively focused assessments tend to neglect student voices and emotion. This paper highlights the benefits of incorporating a qualitative perspective into basic course assessment work, specifically an assessment of the help provided by a communication lab (com lab). Through individual and collective observations, as well as an analysis of 99 open-ended prompts from 165 standard post-visit student surveys, we found a tension that was created when the lab's need for efficiency and effectiveness did not align with the students' need for a supportive learning environment. Two overarching themes -- interactional and organizational constraints -- emerged that illuminated the tension that would otherwise have been overlooked in a traditional quantitative assessment of the com lab. These findings provide clear avenues for improvement that can enhance learning outcomes and impact available funding, while also legitimizing the need to incorporate a mixed-methodological approach to traditional assessment work in the basic course.