English teachers and the English Department are in danger of losing their identity. This paper describes the problems that English departments can expect in the future. Faced with budgetary cutbacks and public demands for teaching basic skills and for minimum-competency tests, future English department administrators and teachers will be expected to be better prepared, to know more, and to do more. The paper concludes that English departments will survive in the future only if department members express their commitment to education and their love of English. (RL)