Dress Code for Faculty and Staff

Policy Details

Effective Date:

October 28, 2021

Supersedes:

COM Administrative Policies Initially Adopted February 28, 2007; amended June 1, 2009; September 30, 2010; January 19, 2011; June 12, 2012; May 10, 2013; July 10, 2014; October 28, 2021

Responsible Authority:

Associate Dean for Finance and Administration and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs

Policy Statement

As representatives of the College, administrative staff and faculty members who have contact with medical students, patients and the public are expected to dress in business attire consistent with a professional environment, maintaining a neat and respectful appearance at all times. This policy supplements the University Dress Code Standard and the Medical Student Handbook. There are important visitors to the College on a daily basis whose impressions will be formed, in part, by the appearance of those who represent the institution. In addition to these basic guidelines, operational needs may require appropriate dress, taking into consideration the safety and business function of the area. The dress code is enforced by the Department Chairs and/or the appropriate supervisor.

Acceptable Attire Includes

• Collared shirts, blouses, sleeveless shirts of an appropriate, business casual nature
• Ties optional
• Dress or casual slacks, pantsuits
• Skirts or dresses with modest hemlines
• Footwear consisting of loafers, boots, flats, heels (open-toed shoes are acceptable as long as they are appropriate for the workplace)
• Jeans of an appropriate nature (not torn or ripped) are permitted only on Fridays. Pairing with FAU branded attire, as aligned in Owl Spirit Fridays guidelines, is encouraged. Please note: abuse of Owl Spirit Fridays guidelines may result in college-wide revocation of privileges.

Prohibited Items

• Tight, sheer or revealing clothing
• Spaghetti strap tops without another shirt, sweater or jackets worn over it
• Halter tops, midriff tops or off-the shoulder blouses, sweaters or dresses
• Shirts or tops with plunging necklines
• T-shirts or shirts with commercial logos, slogans or other art or designs that might be offensive to others
• Ripped or torn jeans
• Exercise or workout clothing, including sweatpants, spandex or leggings
• Shorts
• Any attire that could be perceived as sexually provocative to a reasonable person
• Flip-flops, or beach shoes
• Excessive use of fragrances should be avoided, as some people may be sensitive to scented chemicals.
• Scrubs may be worn ONLY in laboratory, surgical or clinical settings, consistent with the medical student dress code policy.

Exceptions

• Owl Spirit Fridays: Business casual with FAU colors/branding; jeans allowed if appropriate; supervisors may restrict based on operational needs.
• Moving/dirty work days: Jeans and athletic footwear may be worn when the job requires physical tasks, with supervisory approval.
• Operational roles (IT fieldwork, mailroom, lab/research): Units may set alternate attire standards as approved by the area Vice President (uniform/exception pathway).

Clinical Settings

• Clinical faculty are encouraged to wear FAU branded white coats while working in clinical settings, as appropriate, along with a University-issued identification/name badge.
• Clinical faculty and staff may wear FAU branded scrubs with clean sneakers while working in clinical settings, as appropriate.

Laboratory Attire

• Guidelines for laboratory attire require consideration for personal safety. All Federal and Florida laws and University safety regulations shall be followed.
• Open-toed shoes are prohibited during laboratory activities.
• Bracelets that “dangle” and long sleeves with loose ends are not recommended.