SLC discusses rewording of dress code

The Student Life Committee (SLC) met Thursday to discuss school dress code policies and the continuation of the College's Long Range Planning (LRP) efforts.

Last April the Committee proposed a change in the wording of Oberlin's dress policy, partially stemming from issues that arose when a baseball player dyed his hair green. Committee members are still debating the new wording of the policy, which falls under section XI.B of the rules and regulations handbook, in order to find the best way to "clarify Oberlin's negative stance on ...appearance-based discrimination," according to the proposal.

Members discussed the rights of authorities such as coaches and theater directors to dictate a student's appearance, as well as a student's right to drastically alter his or her appearance in ways that would affect his or her teammates or fellow actors.

"I don't think a coach should say, 'I don't want you to participate if you don't dress the way I want you to,'" student senator first-year Micah Thorner said.

Professor of Politics Ronald Kahn discussed both sides of the issue. "I don't think a student has the right to do whatever they want if they're part of a group," he said. "But it seems to me that this covers first-amendment grounds. I think how we dress is part of how we speak...in other words, somebody should not be telling me how to dress. That's what Oberlin is about. We allow freedom of expression."

Visiting Professor of Neuroscience Albert Borroni stressed the importance of communication between students involved in a group activity and their advisor. "I think the problem in the baseball incident was miscommunication. [The coach] decided he wanted players to look a certain way and he didn't communicate that well enough to the people who voluntarily decided to play for him," he said.

Kahn suggested forming a subcommittee to meet with members of the Athletics Department and further discuss a clarification in the wording of dress code policy.

"I would support consulting with others and gaining their input on this issue. I think that idea is really important," Associate Dean of the College Bill Stackman said.

The Committee next turned its attention to a letter it recently received from the General Faculty Council (GFC) regarding future long-range planning goals SLC is partially responsible for implementing. The letter gives SLC, along with several other committees, an April 15 deadline for making plans for renovations regarding student space and residence, intramural sports and the faculty associate program.

"The Trustees are very involved in the planning. After the first phase they basically said, OK, we've got this planned now, and we don't just want to put it on the shelf...but see how we can implement it, recognizing that things take different timelines to implement," Diana Roose, assistant to President of the College Nancy Dye, said.

LRP goals include the incorporation of a student space which will promote a sense of community, as well as strengthening program houses, according to the GFC letter.

Committee members objected to some of the wording in the letter, as well as its breadth of issues.

"I just don't think we should have to deal with every single item on here," SLC Chair Jane Armitage, associate professor of theater, said. Armitage also emphasized the letter's lack of consideration for the 30 percent of the student body living off-campus.

She cited the example of the faculty associate program, which was initiated years ago in Talcott in order for participating faculty members to eat one meal a week with students, thereby forming a greater sense of community. Although the program eventually extended to other on-campus dorms, off-campus students are excluded from it. The letter asked for revitalization of the program because it is little-known to current students.

"With the new dean of students who is no longer our dean, the program fell in abeyance and $650,000 were cut from it," Kahn said in reference to former Dean of Student Life and Services Charlene Cole-Newkirk's decision to reduce funding for the program.

Armitage noted that some of the letter's terminology excludes off-campus students. "When we say 'ResLife' I think it's a very exclusive title; even though we think of the campus as a residential community, the city of Oberlin needs to be, too," she said.

Roose said that despite any unintentional exclusion on the part of the College, off-campus students still integrate well into the Oberlin community. "A lot of students off-campus draw their primary friendships from student organizations on campus," she said. "At Oberlin these organizations are particularly rich and strong. It's one way off-campus students can participate."

Stackman said he is currently forming a committee to deal solely with off-campus concerns in order to strengthen the sense of one Oberlin community.

Associate Director of Admissions Tammy Dowley-Blackman was under the impression that the goals outlined in the letter are too compartmentalized. "The way Oberlin is perceived is as a community in the true sense, given its historical legacy...What we need is something that is less individualized but that gives students a bigger sense of community and order," she said.