In this article, I draw mainly on an analysis of my research experiences in science and higher education. My aim is to construct a conceptual argument that will help explain some of the evident complexity of the higher education field and inform future developments. I propose that the study of higher education is an open-access discipline with the prime purpose of providing a service for higher education itself. Such an argument acknowledges the diversity of people who contribute to this research and how the discipline is developed. To help explain these ideas, I borrow from the scientific concept of Ecosystem Services as a field theory for higher education that envisages a knowledge service for a unified project concerned with research that informs and enhances the complete range of services required of our higher education institutions. (Contains 3 tables.)