1

As part of educational systems there is often a division between two roles:

Teachers or educators give knowledge, while students or trainees receive knowledge.

Is there an abstraction over this distinction that describes simply a person being part of an educational system, regardless of whether it is a student or a teacher in particular?

Edit: In case there is no such general term, what about a word in the context of a single subject?

Improve this question
7
  • 1
    No. But you can find other categories they both fit into naturally: campus inhabitants, school attendees, etc.
    – Dan Bron
    Commented Nov 11, 2018 at 11:51
  • mh. Any idea for something like that referring to students/teachers in the same subject?
    – Marcel Klehr
    Commented Nov 11, 2018 at 12:35
  • As I said: no. But if you can find something else that ties them together, it’d be a useful lead. But there’s no hypernym for student and teacher that people use or would even recognize without an explanation.
    – Dan Bron
    Commented Nov 11, 2018 at 12:37
  • I was hoping there'd be something when the subject ties them together... but I'll see what else I can find...
    – Marcel Klehr
    Commented Nov 11, 2018 at 12:39
  • 1
    "Academic" (as a noun) is the term. It just needs to be understood that it refers to someone who is reasonably devoted to learning, vs, say, a high school student who is more interested in playing sports and chasing girls.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Nov 11, 2018 at 13:51

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
3

Academic might fit your needs:

Academic noun

  a teacher or student at a college or university

Collins Dictionary - Academic

* Bear in mind that this word within a college/university in certain places, might be understood to mean the faculty, not the student body.

Improve this answer
6
  • 1
    Most people on hearing that word will assume it to be describing the faculty, not the students.
    – Dan Bron
    Commented Nov 11, 2018 at 12:23
  • 1
    Dictionaries reflect the use of a word. Out of Meriam Webster, Collins, Dictionary.com, and Oxford, Meriam Webster is ambiguous while the rest give equivalent definitions.
    – Miguel Bartelsman
    Commented Nov 11, 2018 at 12:29
  • 1
    I wasn’t asking a question, I was making a statement. If you use this word on campus, or about a campus, people will understand you to mean the faculty, not the student body. Maybe it would include grad students, but absolutely not undergrads.
    – Dan Bron
    Commented Nov 11, 2018 at 12:31
  • 2
    OP hasn't given any context for the question. In such cases it is counterproductive to assume the worst case scenario for any answer, given that there will always be a context in which the word won't fit. However, I will clarify with an edit so that OP is not confused. Also, chill dude. If you don't like my answer downvote it and/or post your own.
    – Miguel Bartelsman
    Commented Nov 11, 2018 at 12:34
  • Thanks for the edit. But I wasn’t pointing out some obscure corner case. I am saying if you’re talking about schools at all, with anyone, anywhere, if you say “academics” they will not mentally include the students. Also, per your point about context: if you think the question is lacking sufficient context to be unambiguous, you shouldn’t answer. For example here, your edit includes college/university, but that raises the question of, say, high school. If OP’s context is HS, then academics is inapplicable to both students and teachers.
    – Dan Bron
    Commented Nov 11, 2018 at 12:41
0

When referring to both the teachers and students of a college one might just call them "the college community".

Improve this answer
1

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.