Discussions of implementing a dress standard have begun among the Florida A&M administration, and like a lot of schools, it seems like a difficult subject to handle.
The administration is perfectly within its rights to have one, of course, but the collective level of goodwill the student body has for the administration might be permanently altered because of it.
There are many reasons for this, but chief among them is the fact that a lot of students, in their efforts to exercise their independence, do not want a policy that one might find at a typical high school forced on them in college.
However, while the exercise of independence is certainly a worthwhile cause to stand for, the exercise of unrestrained self-entitlement is not.
Dress standards are in place in numerous other organizations for the expressed purpose of maintaining professionalism, and it would be foolish to think that colleges are totally free from any similar “restraints.” Yet there are a number of students who feel the urge to rebel against a dress standard for the sole purpose of having the right to wear anything he or she chooses.
Fully campaigning against the dress standard without consideration as to why it might be a good idea – in this case, maintaining safety and learning standards – stands in opposition against one of the unspoken tenants of attending an institution of higher learning: maturity.Now despite previous statements, it needs to be said that a dress standard might indeed not be the best solution to any problems the university might be having.
Students attending the university are, for the most part, legally recognized as adults and should be treated in the same manner.What both the administration and the general student body should recognize is that dress standards are used for extreme cases where clothing poses a threat to safety or intrudes upon a student’s right to a peaceful education.
As such, not everyone should be subjected to the same level of scrutiny as those who might pose such a threat.
To remedy any problem that would give rise to a dress standard, self-regulation among the student body should be employed.However, as long people are using common sense, and not doing anything like walking barefoot through a hall or wearing tight clothing in the presence of child visitors, there should not be a lot of cause for concern.