Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Ahmadu Bello University: Dress Code

Please don't get me wrong, Okey. I am more conservative than you think and I have lived in America for almost four decades. I once sent one of my language/education students home when I went to observe him and he was wearing a pair of jean-pants while student-teaching even though with a nice shirt and standard tie. My student teachers must be professional. Even as a professor, I always visited them in complete suits, even to my discomfort and irritation, and I also did so when teaching them. But all these are commonsensical, not necessarily based on the Mosaic model of the "Ten Commandments." I think a generic announcement of "We expect our students to be decent in their grooming and public appearances" would be sufficient; and individual programs like education, law, medicine, etc., could have more specific guidelines for how their students' carry themselves in public. ABU should transcend this level of rustic simplicity. It's okay for a high school to do so or even some private religious institutions, but let's be real: this is just not good for an institution of ABU status.

MOA 

On Tuesday, April 30, 2019, 4:15:53 PM GMT+1, Okechukwu Ukaga <ukaga001@umn.edu> wrote:

My esteemed broda, I obviously disagree. In your so called civilized society, naked people are found in strip clubs and brothels, not on university campuses. If folks are unwilling to self regulate to maintain a minimum level of decency in terms of dressing, university has both the right and the responsibility to take appropriate steps. After all, university degrees are awarded not just for academic achievement but also character, etc. Notably, dress code is not unusual in universities, even in the West. When I was in school of business in the late 80s for my MBA, business students were expected and required to dress in ways consistent with our profession. So it is not unusual to see business students and law students going to classes, etc in more formal attire than say soil science students. And in some cases there are strict guidelines like no jeans, no sleepers, no T-shirts, etc. Isn't that a kind of dress code?  So even within the same university there is not only an expected minimum standard for the whole, but component units can have their own additional guidelines, norms and expectations. Before zeroing in on the last part of my contribution that you quoted here, you will do well to read and consider the preceding parts that formed the foundation for that last part.

Regards,

Okey

On Apr 29, 2019 5:18 PM, "'Michael Afolayan' via USA Africa Dialogue Series" <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> wrote:

". . . and if this is not the right means to that end, then what better options or strategies are available?" (Okechukwu Ukaga) 

No options or strategies needed to be explored over a bad idea. The dress code at a first generation public university does not belong in a civil society. Pure and simple!

MOA

On Sunday, April 28, 2019, 1:48:51 PM GMT+1, Okechukwu Ukaga <ukaga001@umn.edu> wrote:

Perhaps there should be a balance between allowing folks to come to school "naked" and "policing" how they dress. How do we strike that balance? If students, staff, faculty and administrators fail to self regulate, how is a university supposed to assure that balance? Beyond automatic condemnation of dress code, it would be helpful to understand what made such a policy necessary, what it is designed to achieve; and if this is not the right means to that end, then what better options or strategies are available? 

OU

On Apr 27, 2019 1:19 PM, "'Michael Afolayan' via USA Africa Dialogue Series" <usaafricadialogue@ googlegroups.com> wrote:

So, what is left? Women to wear hijab and men to dress like the Taliban folks. Great progress for a premier Nigerian university. So grotesque, it's not even funny!

MOA  

On Saturday, April 27, 2019, 6:05:50 PM GMT+1, Toyin Falola <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu > wrote:

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