By: Lydia Campbell
Faculty and students have felt a noticeable shift this semester as Southern places renewed
pressure on enforcing its dress code. A beginning-of-the-year email sent by Dennis Negrón, vice
president of Student Development and Title IX coordinator, reminded the student body that “all
students are expected to maintain compliance with the university dress code while on campus
and during official university events.”
Bob Young, senior vice president of Academic Administration, explained that the current push
was prompted by concerns about the inconsistent application of the longstanding policy.
“Over time, students have expressed in surveys and other feedback that one of their concerns is
not necessarily the existence [of] the dress code itself but the perception that it is applicated
unevenly,” Young stated. “Consistent application also supports one of Southern’s institutional
goals: providing a safe nurturing learning community characterized by integrity and mutual
respect. The emphasis has therefore been on consistency rather than increased strictness.”
Young emphasized that a part of Southern’s mission is to “transform lives for eternity,” which
includes having a dress code.
“As part of that mission, the university seeks to provide a distinctly Christian learning
community that supports students’ spiritual, intellectual, social, and physical development,” he
stated. “The dress code is one aspect for a broader framework of community expectations
designed to foster modesty, professionalism, personal responsibility, and respect for others.”
According to Southern’s student handbook, the university’s dress code emphasizes modesty,
neatness and professional appearance. The policy includes general and gender specific
requirements for all students, such as wearing shoes and shirts in public spaces and maintaining
clean, neat hairstyles. The handbook also lists items that are not allowed, including tank tops,
loungewear, torn clothing, tight or revealing styles and jewelry. Students who wear jewelry may
be fined. Additional rules apply to the Hulsey Wellness Center, where tops with sleeves,
closed-toe shoes and modest workout attire are required.
Jayla Rucker, a freshman biology research major, noted that some faculty emphasize
professionalism when it comes to dress.
“My professor from Jump Start in personal finance [talked] to us about how sometimes people
from certain professions come and sit in his lectures,” Rucker said. “I feel like it’s important for
holding an image of the school in general.”
Enforcement
Currently, the university does not have a formal system that tracks the enforcement of dress
code. Young addressed how enforcement is measured, expanding on the lack of a system by
explaining how students should be dress-coded.
“Administrators remain attentive to feedback received from students, faculty, staff, and survey
data,” he stated. “Recent communications to faculty and employees, in harmony with employee
policy 1550, emphasized that conversations regarding dress code concerns should always be
conducted discreetly, kindly, respectfully, and with good judgment, sensitivity, and tact.
Employees are encouraged to avoid embarrassing or humiliating students and to approach
concerns in ways consistent with Southern’s Christian values.”
While enforcement expectations have increased campus-wide, some areas, such as the Hulsey
Wellness Center, report no changes to their existing guidelines. Judy Sloan, dean of the School
of Health and Kinesiology, said the dress code for the facility remains consistent.
“The dress code in the Hulsey Wellness Center is the same as it has been in the past,” stated
Sloan. “A dress code should not have to be ‘enforced.’ Ideally, it would be followed as part of
respectful employment or in this case as a respectful student choosing to gain a great academic
education at Southern Adventist University.”
Student response
Rucker said she hasn’t noticed much enforcement of the dress code so far.
“I feel like, from what I’ve seen, it hasn’t been enforced,” she said. “But I feel like at the start of
the semester, they did send emails and stuff.”
Danyil Rynzhuk, a sophomore theology major, expressed concern about students disregarding
the policy.
“We have a dress code that a lot of students don’t follow, unfortunately, which is not okay,”
Rynzhuk said. “So, my opinion is, I think we should start following the dress code.”
Savannah Herr, a freshman psychology major, questioned whether some parts of the dress code
still make sense.
“One of the [policies] said makeup must be natural in appearance, and it was saying that any
types of jewelry [are] still prohibited,” Herr said. “But I just don’t think that that’s necessary
because I feel like that’s kind of outdated. I know some Adventist schools are getting rid of their
no-jewelry rule. So, for it to still be a rule at a college, when it’s adults, I just don’t think that’s
necessary.”
Online reaction
Many online users reacted on Fizz, a discussion app for college students that allows anonymous
posts.
A student who said she had been dress-coded for wearing jewelry in her religion class included a
photo of an email she received from her professor with the caption: “I’ve never been more rage
baited in my entire life.”
One user commented on a related post, stating “That [dress code] kinda good though. This is an
Adventist school, and some people are wearing really [inappropriate] clothes like be fr [for
real].”
Religious context
Professor Esteban Hidalgo, a professor in the School of Religion, explained why dress code enforcement might feel different this year.
“When written standards are frequently overlooked, students naturally begin to assume that those
standards are optional,” Hidalgo said. “Under those circumstances, a renewed effort to apply an
existing standard can feel like the introduction of a new rule, even when the underlying
expectation has been present for some time.”
Hidalgo added that he hopes students will take their own initiative to follow the principles of the
dress code for themselves.
“A Christian university has failed in its educational mission if students graduate merely knowing
how to avoid getting dress coded,” he added. “We want students to become Christians capable of
exercising mature judgment long after Southern no longer has any authority over what they
wear.”
