Yes, any girl wearing 4 inch stilleto heals to school looks like a hooker. I like the idea of a dress code otherwise kids just don’t get it that they look like fools.

I work on a large mid-west campus. I believe that human rights and the rights of our “employers” should be highly respected. With that said, I have become increasing aware of the lack of respect between the respective classes of our institution. I started here twenty two years ago; I am in my mid forties; and have two teens myself. I understand the need to express one’s self. But the lack of what I perceive as mutual respect has drastically changed with the changing of attire. I thoroughly believe that if an institution takes on the responsibility of imposing a dress code, they should in turn impose an even more stringent code for the faculty and staff. There are many times that I cannot tell the difference between a faculty/staff member and a student. We must always remember that we are here for the students and with that responsibility we need to be aware that the students must be totally involved in any decisions such as this one. I have much respect for the Student Senate and believe that they should be involved in every aspect of this discussion and/or imposed dress code.

Frankly, as each year passes I am more amazed. The depth of cleavage now commonplace in my classes is astounding. Sometimes I think I’m at the beach. Is it true or not, that it’s basically middle-aged and older men (I’m 65) that are distracted by this view. It just seems that the undergrad men take it in casual stride. And I have already asked a couple of young men in biology lab to pull their pants up, but I think I’m fighting a losing battle. I actually saw a young man working in a public restaurant with his pants rear pulled down revealing his underwear. Good grief.

How wonderful to implement this dress code. Other schools should do the same. I do believe that dress has a psychological effect on ones behavior and helps to keep the focus on learning. In addition, it is teaching them how to dress for success in the profession in which they are studying.

It’s about time we see institutions of higher learning regaining a sense of propriety. People have lost the idea that education is an act of edification. As such, our activities in the classroom, including the way we dress, should remind us that we are engaged in something that is meant to mature us. I teach in a major midwestern university. If it were up to me I would have everyone, professors and students alike, all be in uniform dress. Quite frankly, I wish we would go back to wearing gowns.

Of course it does. Some students recognize that and utilize it by dressing up for exams to get a psychological edge.

Oh, come on, my colleagues. It is not our place to legislate dress codes, much less morality. What we do is teach, and class consciousness (Why do the students at Harvard not dress suggestively?), objectification of women (How do high heels and miniskirts limit free movement?), race politics (What does dressing like gangster rappers imply?), as well as the consequences of tattoos and cleavage in the workplace are our province.

Informality is here to stay, and who is to say that techies in jeans or shorts do not perform well in the workplace? Or that the dress code at my university, in a freezing climate, helped me respect the field of studio art by wearing a dress? But students do need to know the class and sexual coding of dressing. A viewing of “People Like Us,” with a discussion in first-year orientation might accomplish more than a dress code, with the resultant rebellion.

I believe that haveing certain guidelines that depict what is and is not acceptable for students to wear to class is a good thing. On the other hand, going overboard and having a required dress such as suits to class is a bit much. I’m a college student myself, and sometimes in the last minute rush for class, you have to grab whatever you can find to wear, or even go in your pjs after pulling an al nighter.

I do not agree with this policy. You cannot judge a book by its cover, so what makes good supporting evidence that kids with more attentive learning skills or better studying habits are accustomed to more appropriate clothing? This dress code issue has been around for so long, and being a student I’ve experienced students’ focus being averted toward their objections to the situation. They worry about getting the right clothes, taking their worries off of schoolwork and spending money on a new wardrobe (which many are not able to even afford, ESPECIALLY in college) rather than on books and supplies required for class. They STILL worry about their appearance and it’s completely ridiculous if board members assume that a change in dress code will effect a young adult’s security about the way they look. This rule simply implies a stereotype that those who have obtained their own sense of style pertaining to what they’re interested in wearing are less stable in the work environment. In addition, we are in college and now expect to be treated as an adult. I understand that in the workplace you must dress professionally, but we are investing money in furthering our education so that we may become professional in a field of our choice. However, this money is being spent on the expansion of responsibility so I would discourage the resemblance of a K-12 dress code. For good money being spent at a school that requires us to now be independent, I do not understand the reason for dictating the style of your students.

I don’t think a dress code is appropriate for college students, or do all of you who this it is a good idea forget when you were young. What they wear has nothing to do with what they learn. Lets focus on serious issues and not this silly stuff.

First of all regarding the business class mentioned I found the idea that women had to wear skirts to be incredibly sexist and offensive I also find the idea of a suit and tie destructive of detrimental to all creativity so in my opinion it would have a negative effect on the original and inventive output of the students. There is also the idea that anyone can be offended by anything at anytime and we as a society should not become mindless zombies just because some one is slightly taken aback by another ADULTS choice of outfit.

-jeff ockerse

I believe dress codes are NEEDED for high school students. There are 15 year olds in high school who still need to have boundaries and still need to have a good example set for them. College students are a completely different story. They are old enough to decide what they feel is appropriate to wear to class. College students are young adults who NEED to make there own decisions. This will prepare them to help make life changing decisions.

I am a student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and I do not agree with the dress codes discussed in this article.

Men these days dress so sloppily that it offends me. Their attire interferes with my education. I’m not sure how, and I have exactly no evidence of any such thing, but it does. Just because I don’t like it. My grandmother wouldn’t like it. Jesus doesn’t like it. The 14th century is appalled by it.

Women are another story. Women these days dress so seductively that it is distracting. It is totally their fault if I can’t concentrate on my classwork. We poor, stupid men can’t be expected to use our big heads for thinking with women dressing like hussies, can we? We’re just men, after all!

Clearly, women should be dressed in full-veil burqas, lest they temp men to think about unnatural acts! Like seckshul stuff! That’s totally unnatural!

And don’t even give me that crap about freedom or human rights or free expression! Just the other day on campus, I saw two students KISSING!!!! OMG!!!!

It made Baby Jesus cry.

What is the world coming to, when healthy young primates are displaying for potential mates???? Next thing you know, there will be BABIES!!!!!!!!!

*This article* offends me. Proscriptions of other people’s attire based on “I don’t like how you dress” offend me. The Victorian, inane, baseless responses to the article thus far offend me. Doesn’t that mean that this page should be wiped from the servers, based on the same (lack of) logic?

Oddly, I have always had the impression that institutions of higher education were bastions of intellectualism, free thought, free expression, something to be admired. If you want a dress code, try Tehran University.

Personally, I think women wearing clothing like this is great. It makes things more enjoyable for everyone.

I participated in a job fair yesterday and was horrified at the way the job-seekers were dressed, many of whom were college students. One young lady had on dirty pajamas and flip flops and an extremely overweight young woman had on a strapless mini dress!

I think NC Central and Morehouse have the right idea and my school is currently considering imposing a dress code. As far as the conservative dress is concerned, many business shcools require their students to dress in business attire.

College is the purchase of a service from an institution that provides a means to educate not a job where you are providing a service to your employer. Students should be allowed to dress as they wish within legal limits. As a business institution I don’t believe a college would like to experience the loss of potential future students and revenue that could result with a dress code. I believe our dress is about how we see ourself. If a young lady shows cleavage and perceives herself as sexy or a young man wears baggy low cut pants and perceives himself as cool it is healthy. College has been and continues to be an avenue that the limits of expression are pushed. Now in my 60′s it doesn’t seem that long ago that I was pushing the envelope during college days. Our task is to educate these young students what it takes to be sucessful in the job market to include dress that is expected by others who currently are in financial power.

I personally believe that it is ridiculous to have a dress code in college. Individuality is a huge deal to me and i believe that everyone should be able to express themselves by wearing exactly what they want to wear.

Interesting discussion! I’m with the folks who believe that a dress code at college is not ok–but limits need to be implemented in high schools and earlier! That way, by the time kids get to college, they have a BASIS from which to make their appearance decisions. If, while growing up, they are required to cover up their cleavage and pull up their pants, take off their hats, do-rags, and sunglasses, etc. for school, but can do as they please in their social lives, then they’ve experienced a range of situations and dress and have a broader perspective to pull from. They have a chance to learn what it feels like to dress differently.

Now, I’m pretty tired of what I see at the college where I work–males with their pants literally under their butts and holding them up by holding their crotches, and females who look like they’re only coming to school to find sex. It’s not just cleavage I see, but breasts that are barely covered. I don’t like it, I think they all look terrible, but–we don’t get to dictate what other adults do or wear within legal limits in this country. Remember too that every generation has pushed the boundaries of what is acceptable dress and behavior. In the 60′s males with long hair upset a lot of folks; these days young folks have to be pretty outrageous to be different from the broader culture.

This discussion also needs an injection of social class awareness. Class is a strong factor in who’s wearing what and we have to understand that. Clothing choice is affected by finances, role models, the dictates of sub-cultures, and more.

SANDRA from Sept. 15 says it the best: “students do need to know the class and sexual coding of dressing … class consciousness (Why do the students at Harvard not dress suggestively?), objectification of women (How do high heels and miniskirts limit free movement?), race politics (What does dressing like gangster rappers imply?) …

Rather than make rules, opening college students’ eyes to these factors would teach them a great deal and allow them to make conscious decisions. Maybe if that guy over there learned that low-hanging pants came from prison culture, he’d look at his options differently.

As an admin asst at a local college I dress “business casual” and wear an ID photo tag. There is no dress code. Some younger staff although they serve the public have absolutely no idea what is appropriate and wear revealing, party style clothing to show off tattoos. Others wear jeans every day even though they are visible to the public. Faculty have immense freedom so you may see some who dress in business suits every day, some who look like they have come from working in the yard.
The people who work at the college have to wear their photo IDs – students do not have to. I see people coming for job interviews dressed very inappropriately. It is a touchy situation if there is no official dress code.