As a Christian educational institution, Southern has established a dress code emphasizing modesty, cleanliness, neatness, and professional appropriateness. Students are to meet the following requirements:
Men
- Modest pants worn at the waist with shirts or sweaters
- Sabbath services (Vespers, Sabbath School, church): suits or collared dress shirts or turtleneck sweaters
- Beards and mustaches clean and well groomed
- Modest recreational apparel
Women
- Modest dresses, skirts, or pants with shirts or sweaters
- Sabbath services (Vespers, Sabbath School, church): modest skirts, dresses, or dress pants with shirts or sweaters
- Makeup should be natural in appearance
- Modest recreational apparel, including one-piece swimsuits
Men and Women
- Shoes and shirts are required in all non-recreational public places
- Hair is to be clean, neat, and without radical styles
- Shorts worn in classroom buildings or during Convocation must be modest in length, no shorter than mid-thigh, and not recreational shorts
Specifically prohibited in public are:
- Sloppiness, tank tops, pajamas/loungewear, and clothing that is torn, frayed, or with printing that contradicts university standards
- Tight fitting and revealing styles, sheer fabrics, low-cut tops, bare midriffs or shoulders, exposed camisoles, miniskirts with or without leggings, and skirts with deep slits
- Jewelry: bracelets, necklaces, chains, medallions, earrings, and rings. Medical alert chains and bracelets are allowed. Married students may wear wedding bands. Medical alert chains and bracelets are allowed.
*Students who wear jewelry may be fined
When working out in the Hulsey Wellness Center, modesty of dress should always be considered. Tops with sleeves and closed toed shoes must be worn on the fitness floor and walking track. No denim is allowed on the fitness floor.
Students not compliant with the dress code may be subject to university sanctions. Guests at Southern are encouraged to comply with the dress code.