Faculty Pass Groundbreaking Dress Code

According to previous Student Council (StuCo) president and senior Benj Cohen, the dress code, prior to June 1, was problematic in two ways: it perpetuated gender stereotypes by forcing men to dress to a higher standard than women and it also forced faculty members—all of whom were responsible for enforcing it—to decide whether a student was female or male to impose the rules accordingly. StuCo determined this to be stifling or awkward for some students who did not fit into a gender binary system or might have had their genders misinterpreted.

In an attempt to resolve these issues, StuCo embarked on a painstaking but vital process to draft and pass a gender neutral dress code, which would not discriminate based on gender.

“We don’t think it will just change the way that people dress, but also the way that students perceive each other. Getting everyone on a level playing field will have sort of a ripple effect within the community, in terms of gender equity.”

StuCo’s Policy Committee, headed by seniors Sachin Holdheim and Emily Lemmerman, was responsible for drafting two options for a gender neutral dress code. They were called “Option 1” and “Option 2,” with the former being more relaxed than the latter. The first option removed the necktie but would see only a small decrease in formality. The second option also removed the required necktie but required students to wear a sweater or blazer instead of it. The two drafts were both based off a rationale written by the two committee co-heads at the time.

According to an article regarding StuCo that was published in The Exonian on Feb. 12, the rationale was based on gender equity. “The current dress code holds male and female students to different standards; it is far more relaxed for ‘girls’ than it is for ‘boys,’ whose dress code is both more formal and enforceable,” Cohen, Holdheim and Lemmerman wrote. “The standards set by the dress code perpetuate negative gender stereotypes—specifically, that girls are less professional than boys.”

The debate on campus centered around two topics—the necktie and necessity. For the removal of the necktie, Option 1 was especially progressive. It abolished the requirement of a tie for any student, which has become an important symbol of Exeter’s seriousness of purpose and tradition to students and alumni alike. To add to the debate, there was a constituent group of dissenters that did not think a gender neutral dress code was important or necessary on campus.

At a StuCo meeting on Feb. 24, both options were presented and subsequently voted on. Students voted 54-30 in favor of Option 1, selecting it as the final proposal to be presented to faculty with a StuCo endorsement. Ultimately, however, both drafts written were presented at Faculty Meeting on May 4. During their meeting, the faculty possessed the ability to implement any changes they wished to either proposal.

On that day, the faculty, who heard the proposal for the first time, debated its pros and cons. The teachers did not have time to conclude discussions formally and so did not reach a final consensus until one week later. On May 11, a vocal vote was held and Option 1 passed by a large majority.

The new regulations require all students to wear a dress shirt, sweater, turtleneck, dress or ethnic attire to required appointments. The dress code defines a dress shirt as a blouse, polo or collared shirt.

Hats, athletic wear, strapless tops or tops with straps fewer than two inches wide, t-shirts, clothing with hemlines above the fingertips and clothing in disrepair are all banned as attire worn to class under the new dress code.

This new dress code was put into effect on June 1, 2015 and will continue to serve as the new guideline for both new and returning Exonians in the fall.

Although it has only been six days since the proposal’s initiation, many look forward to experiencing the full effects of the dress code as they become more noticeable at the beginning of the 2015-16 school year. Cohen is one of them.

“We think that this change will have a really powerful effect on the Exeter community,” Cohen said. “We don’t think it will just change the way that people dress, but also the way that students perceive each other. Getting everyone on a level playing field will have sort of a ripple effect within the community, in terms of gender equity.”

Lemmerman, a policy co-head for most of the 2014-15 school year, had similar thoughts. “I sincerely hope that this change makes Exeter a more welcoming place in a multitude of ways, particularly gender equality and the recognition of non-binary gender identities.”

“I also hope it invites discussion about what the change means for us symbolically pertaining to gender as well as in terms of class and how we consider professionalism,” she added. Many faculty and students on campus expressed their gratitude for the changes, both because standards for males or females were leveled and because those who do not identify as either gender were no longer in troubling positions.

“I think that [the dress code] makes a statement that we want to make all students as comfortable in their own skin as possible,” science instructor Jeffrey Ward said. “We are not trying to put the proverbial square peg into the round hole. In addition, it levels the playing field for both boys and girls.”

One genderqueer student, senior Jren Blackwell, supported the dress code change because it removed confusion for transgender students who did not know under what circumstances they had to wear a tie or dress.

Upper Julia Bornemann found yet another positive aspect of the new dress code. "I loved that, while quite formal, the previous dress code allowed enormous room for creativity and expression through fashion choices, which the new dress code appears to maintain,” she said.

More broadly, Cohen connected the revised dress code to the political and personal views of many Exonians on campus. “I think that this is a really important step towards matching the values of Exeter with the actions of the Exeter community,” Cohen said. “We have really liberal values here, and now we are taking a step towards acting in a liberal way, and being accepting towards all students.”