This article is a response to Greenbank's (2006) The academic's role: the need for a re-evaluation? It is also a contribution to the ongoing debate about the need to develop a broader view of scholarship and the different activities related to it such as 'teaching', 'research' and 'service to the community'. Arguments related to current research are presented to enhance a deeper understanding and more nuanced definition of 'service', which has been perceived by many academics as a confusing term that lacks professional status. 'Collaboration' is a better term for describing the interactivity between universities and the community, implying collaboration with practitioners. A holistic view of scholarship is suggested, where the integration of collaboration, teaching and research is seen as an interdependent whole instead of a hierarchy of functions.