Seeing an educator as having a service responsibility long predates the monetization of higher education. And, given that we do exist in a context where the educations were are offering are massively expensive and often of dubious value to the consumer, we do have a responsibility to our students, their time, and their wallets. I support academic freedom, but I also believe we have a responsibility to our students, who pay our salaries and stipends, to make their education accessible, compassionate, and worthwhile. The idea that academics are supposed to exist in some pure, higher plane free from the responsibility to serve students and the public interest is an elitist one, and does not lead to sound pedagogy or worthwhile educational experiences. And like it or not, that view of academia is very very much on its way out.