University to use photos to work on student dress

Durham, N.C. —- Students and school leaders at North Carolina Central University will begin a program next semester they hope will persuade students to ditch their do-rags and bag their baggy jeans.

The Herald-Sun of Durham reported Thursday that Student Government Association president Kent Williams Jr. said there is a problem on campus with students wearing pajamas, do-rags and hats in the classroom. He announced the plan at Wednesday’s board of trustees meeting, where his plan was greeted with applause.

The program will be similar to one at Winston-Salem State University. Students there are given cards with photographs of their peers modeling various fashion do’s and don’ts.

Williams says the cards for NCCU students will also use student models and have similar explanations for campus attire.

WSSU created a card for male students showing inappropriate attire, but also cards with students modeling appropriate campus wear, business casual and business professional attire. There are separate cards for female students showing appropriate attire in the same categories and also one demonstrating inappropriate dress for females.

“Initially, we handed them out during career fairs and major functions,” LaMonica Singleton, interim director of WSSU Career Services Office, said in an e-mail. “They serve as an excellent resource for students who may not know and understand the standards as it relates to appropriate attire for class, job interviews, career fairs, social events, internships, etc.”

Singleton said the program grew out of a professional development conference staff members attended in August 2007. She said a university in Florida shared its professional development cards and a staff member suggested similar cards be created for WSSU students.

Since the cards have been available, Singleton said she has noticed improvement in the students’ dress.

“There has been some change as it relates to students who participate in activities hosted by the Office of Career Services,” she said.

Alicia Miles, a 19-year-old sophomore at NCCU, acknowledged some students push the limit when it comes to their appearance. She said many underclassmen “dress like ‘Hey I’m in college where my mom can’t tell me how to dress.’ “

Williams said the program also is intended to help prepare students for the real world. How one dresses can have negative consequences, especially on a college campus where employers often come to recruit, he said.

“If you’re not dressed appropriately, you might not get the job you want,” Williams said.

He thinks the program will have a positive effect on students after it is launched shortly after the Christmas break, he said.

“I think it will,” Williams said. “If not, at least we did what we had to do to inform our students.”