We explore the idea that teaching students as "scholars" can change their education within a values discourse that promotes certain personal attributes, including being engaged members of their university and society. The idea partially opposes the dominant neoliberal framing of higher education but is not foreign to normal academic practices and so may have a chance to succeed if adopted. At present, the terms "scholar" and "scholarship" are empty signifiers that are poorly understood and overused. We seek to clarify what these are in the context of student learning and then show how a clearer understanding of the scholar can bring a valuable dimension to a student's experiences in the learning community that makes up a university.