Individual,

Academia is the worldwide group composed of professors
and researchers at institutes of higher learning.

You seem to be confused in your terminology.

I hope that helps you.

Academia is the worldwide group composed of professors
and researchers at institutes of higher learning.
Foxy,
we all know that, what you don't appear to know is that only a very small percentage of them are of actual benefit to society ! A great many of them are simply hangers-on who only dream up useless crap like PC & treating crims with kids gloves etc. & all the other silly ideas plaguing our society !
They too call themselves Academics !

Foxy,

You seem to be forgetting to include all the Lecturers and Tutors at a university.

They are academics as well.

My understanding is that academica means the teaching staff at a university.

My understanding is that academica means the teaching staff at a university.
Mr opinion,
There you go. So, who is doing all the anti conservatism indoctrination in Unis ?
You're an Academic by your own hinting & open hostility to conservative Govt so, what exactly are you getting paid for by us taxpayers ?

pseudo-individual,

I'm not an academic.

It never appealed to me to want to be an academic.

I was always just happy to become one of the most educated and smartest guys in the country.

I was always just happy to become one of the most educated and smartest guys in the country.
Mr Opinion,
That's nice so, who thinks that much of you that they pay you to make a living from your education & smartness ?