Tuskegee isn't alone: Lincoln, Cheyney, and Delaware State have dress codes 4%
By Sherry Stone13%
7/30/2026, 2:00:00 PM
Topics: Hbcus, Student Dress Codes
BS Summary: This article contains 11 faulty reasoning types, including Confirmation Bias, False Dilemma, and Negativity Bias, with Framing Effect as the most egregious example at 12.9% saturation with 92 hits. Analysis detected 329 faulty-reasoning hits from 713 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 12.2% and a BS Rank of 4% (27,685 of 28,846 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 96.00% of the article peer group.
Tuskegee University is not the only historically Black college or university adopting or enforcing student dress standards ahead of the new school year.
As families prepare for orientation, move-in days and the start of classes at three of Philadelphia-area HBCUs, Lincoln University, Delaware State University and Cheyney University, students may want to familiarize themselves with their institution's expectations regarding attire.
Tuskegee University's President Mark A.
Brown recently announced new standards for incoming freshmen at the historic Alabama institution.
The guidelines prohibit slippers and bedroom shoes in public campus spaces, ban bonnets outside residence halls and prohibit durags in classrooms and dining facilities.
The policy also restricts revealing clothing in classrooms, dining halls and official university events.
Students are encouraged to dress in a manner that reflects professionalism and respect for the campus environment.
The announcement sparked widespread discussion on social media and has drawn national attention.
Roy Betts, a spokesperson for the United Negro College Fund and a Hampton University graduate, told The Philadelphia Tribune that dress code decisions are left to individual institutions.
Cheyney emphasizes modest, professional attire
Cheyney University's student handbook and public relations office dictate that students are expected to dress neatly and modestly.
The university identifies attire such as pajamas, see-through garments, excessively tight clothing and apparel that exposes undergarments as inappropriate.
For major university events, students are discouraged from wearing caps, hats, hoodies and sneakers.
Large backpacks also are prohibited at certain school functions, while women are encouraged to carry small handbags or clutch purses.
Lincoln stops short of campuswide dress code
Unlike Tuskegee, Lincoln does not have a campuswide dress code for daily classes.
However, the university requires business-professional attire for Career Services programs, including interviews, career fairs and some field trips.
Students participating in those events are expected to wear conservative suits and dress shoes and maintain a professional appearance.
Lincoln President Brenda Allen told The Tribune that the university views appearance as part of a student's personal and professional development.
"College is a time for growth, development and learning," she said in an email.
"At Lincoln, we are focused on helping students gain agency over every aspect of their lives, including the relationship between appearance and perception."
Allen's chief of staff, Letitia Wall, said the university currently is not considering adopting a policy similar to Tuskegee's.
"There are no current discussions on our campus with our stakeholders regarding a dress code adoption similar to Tuskegee University," she said in an email.
Del.
State's policy closely resembles Tuskegee's
Among the area’s HBCUs, Delaware State University's policy most closely mirrors Tuskegee's approach.
The university said it expects students to maintain a neat and professional appearance while allowing casual attire in most classroom settings.
However, bedroom slippers are prohibited in classrooms, cafeterias and instructional areas.
The university also prohibits durags and bonnets in classrooms and official university settings.
Crop tops, see-through materials, tube tops and excessively short skirts or shorts are not permitted.
Delaware State additionally bars sagging clothing and garments that expose undergarments.
Students are expected to wear business attire, including suits, blazers and dress shoes, for convocations, seminars and other professional campus events.
Supporters and critics weigh in
The new standards at Tuskegee have prompted divided reactions on social media.
Alan Alexander, an educator and freshman basketball coach at Plainfield South High School in Illinois, said in a post that he supports dress codes in classrooms and at special events but questioned extending such requirements to informal campus spaces.
"There is a time and place for everything," he said.
"My concern is whether students are being given enough flexibility during their personal time on campus."
Keith Wolaridge, a human resources professional in Bakersfield, California, posted that colleges have a responsibility to help students understand professional expectations.
"I strongly support individual freedom, cultural expression and the right of college students to develop their own identities," he said.
"However, freedom has never meant freedom from responsibility, judgment or consequences."
Wolaridge noted that most of the restrictions apply only in shared public spaces.
"These clothing items are not being banned from a student's life altogether," he said.
"The expectation applies specifically to shared public campus spaces, where students interact with faculty, staff, employers, community members and one another."
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100%flagged-word coverageAlan Alexander
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