The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), has issued a caution to students that they will not be allowed into lecture halls if found dressed indecently.
In a memo dated June 30 and signed by the Office of the Dean of Students, the university noted its growing concern over what it describes as indecent dressing among students, especially during lectures.
“Management is concerned about the indecent dressing of students on campus, especially during lectures,” the memo stated in part.
It further cautioned that “you will not be allowed into lecture halls with unkempt hair, shorts, bathroom slippers, track suits, anklets, nose rings, etc., to mention a few.”
The directive, which took effect from July 1, has seen a task force stationed at strategic points across campus to strictly enforce the dress code.
According to the university, the measure aims to restore what it called “sanity” on campus.
Videos circulating on social media on July 2 showed members of the UPSA task force turning away students deemed to have flouted the dress code policy.
Meanwhile, renowned legal scholar Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, has waded into the matter, cautioning the university to act with care.
In a Facebook post, he said, “The university may well be acting within its rules of conduct. Yet, it must tread carefully. Rules that disproportionately restrict student freedoms, are vague in definition, or are enforced arbitrarily, risk undermining the very intellectual climate a university is meant to foster.”