Return of the Dress Code

Marketing students at Illinois State University's College of Business face a choice—business casual attire for class or a zero for the day

by Alison Damast

Trips to the dry cleaner and mini shopping sprees at stores like Brooks Brothers are just some of the tasks awaiting undergraduate marketing students at Illinois State University's College of Business this school year. Starting Aug. 27, all students taking classes in the marketing department are required to adhere to a strict business casual code, one that requires them to come to class in items such as pressed polo shirts, pants with finished seams, and dress heels. Students tested out the policy during a grace period last week.

The move is part of a broader effort by the College of Business—which has previously had a dress code for some specialized courses and sequences—to institute new professional conduct code standards for students. Faculty want students to be prepared to meet at any time with recruiters or donors who may visit the school: Looking professional is a key part of that strategy, they said. "We believe wearing business casual kind of gives our students a leg up," said Timothy Longfellow, chairman of the College of Business' marketing department. "They now have two years to really learn what business causal is, rather than perhaps making mistakes when they start their jobs."

Illinois is apparently the only public undergraduate business school in the country to implement a dress code for students, says Brenda Lovell, vice-president and chief education officer for the Assn. to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The code, which also applies to business education students, has made waves in the blogosphere, the school's student newspaper, and the wider academic community since news of the requirement broke last week. "I've got to hand it to them—if it was part of a public relations campaign, they've done an excellent job," Lovell says. "They've gotten far more press than they could have for doing anything much less interesting."

Following Suit

Although the dress code is currently limited to the school's marketing department, others at the school and in the larger business school community are watching closely to see if the requirement spreads to other departments within the college.

"That may be the big hundred-dollar question," says Norris Porter, assistant to the dean for student services at the College of Business. "I'm sure the rest of the school is going to be watching how this is received both by students and by our industry constituents to see if they might adopt it," he said.

The move is a dramatic shift for students accustomed to coming to class in hoodies, flip-flops, and tank tops. Since the new policy went into effect last week, a litany of complaints has arisen among students who find themselves faced with the burden of buying a new work wardrobe for class.

Justin Look, a senior who is the president of the college's Business Administration Assn., used to roll out of bed and throw on a hat and some jeans; now, he puts on black pants and dress shoes. He says he personally doesn't mind the requirement, but describes the mood among students as one of mixed emotions. "College students don't have a lot of money, so they're angry about buying new clothing and paying for dry cleaning every week," says Look, a marketing major.

This does not appear to be a concern for the marketing department faculty, who are piggybacking on a similar project undertaken by the school's Professional Sales Institute. "We said, 'It's high time we do this,'" says the school's Linda Showers, a professor of marketing who helped draw up the guidelines. "It's a professional look that doesn't require a lot of effort or time or money, frankly."