Business Casual Dress Code Instituted at Paul Quinn College

Paul Quinn College is a historically black educational institution in Dallas. The college was founded by the African Methodist Episcopal Church and retains an affiliation with the church today. There are about 800 students on campus, almost all of whom are black.

Paul Quinn’s president Michael J. Sorrell has instituted a new dress code for students on campus. Between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, all students will be required to dress in “business casual” attire. This mean that students are not permitted to wear jeans, flip-flops, T-shirts, tank tops, or sneakers.

President Sorrell states, “We are charged with the responsibility of preparing our students to assume a leadership role in business, and we can no longer pretend that their attire isn’t one aspect of that preparation.”

Sympathetic to the fact that the new dress code might be difficult for some low-income students, Sorrell sought out corporations and individuals to donate appropriate clothes that can be used by students.

A student who violates the dress code will be required to do community service. A second violation will require the student to join President Sorrell’s Saturday Morning Running Club.