Dress Code for College Professors

[AUFAN]

From the Tuscaloosa News

The beard. The tweed jacket. The not-so-perfect hairstyle. An abundance of stereotypes exist for what college professors wear.

Spot a man at the airport with all three and most people would peg him to be a professor, a unique breed that work in an environment free from the chains of the office dress code.

“People expect academics to look like they don’t care what they look like," said James Salem, the American studies chair at the University of Alabama. “Isn’t that what it’s about? We don’t have time to think about such [little things]."

But despite persistent stereotypes, the majority of professors probably dress business casual, at least, and some still wear ties and suits to class. Whatever the style, professors interviewed said the clothes are not telltale signs of how well a professor teaches, but probably is an indication of the class structure.

“My approach to teaching is very relaxed and interactive, and my clothing reflects that," said Bob Sigler, a professor of criminal justice. “Clothing is part of teaching style."

UA has no official dress code for students or faculty, unlike high school where some systems are telling teachers what not to wear.

That mentality fits with the rest of college. Class schedules are self-selected, and attendance isn’t mandatory. Professors have academic freedom and choose the textbook course schedules among other things.

So when a professor wears shorts, sandals and an un-tucked dress shirt like Sigler, it’s no big deal.

“When students come to the university, it’s considered a sort of rite of passage into adulthood, so they are less likely to be damaged by minor variances in structure," he said.

UA Provost Judy Bonner said the way a professor dresses might have more to do with the subject being taught.

“Law faculty and faculty in the College of Commerce and Business Administration would probably be more conservative in their dress," she said. “Faculty in engineering and the sciences would have to wear clothing appropriate for laboratory research."

Harold Elder, an associate professor of economics, thinks clothes have more to do with the person than the discipline, and rejected the idea that clothing reflects teaching style.

Elder said he’s worn a tie and jacket to almost every class he’s taught for 25 years.

“In some sense, I approach this as my job, and I dress in a way to respect my students," Elder said. “But far be it from me to tell another person how to dress."

Roger Yankoupe, a 25-year-old senior, said he likes when his professors dress more formal.

“I’m in the business college, and they tend to have a little more professional demeanor. I like that," he said. “At least in the business school, that kind of clothing commands a position or respect."

Although, Yankoupe admitted it’s the content of the class that matters, not the clothes.

Jim Hall, director of New College, said clothes are a uniform and say something about the person. He dresses business casual, but thinks there is a range of clothing style across faculty.

“I don’t think there is a real consistent pattern," he said.

Salem, who said he still wears a tie in big lecture classes, thinks society as a whole is less formal in their dress. He remembers when coeds wore dresses to class.

Salem tells the department’s graduate teaching assistants to stand out from the students, which isn’t too difficult.

“[Students] put on a T-shirt and short skirt or shorts and flip-flops, and they’re ready to go," he said.

Arin Stephen, a 28-year-old psychology major, said she likes when professors dress casual.

“It pretty much shows their personality," she said. “I’d rather them not wear a tie, because it makes it less formal

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