The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has announced plans to review its student dress code policy to strike a balance between upholding professionalism and respecting student expression.

The move follows growing criticism on social media over the past few months that the university’s dress code is overly strict.

Speaking at the university’s 2024/2025 congregation, Vice Chancellor Prof. John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor explained that the revision seeks to maintain UPSA’s identity as a premier professional training institution while addressing concerns raised by students and the public.

“The dress code for our students, and thank God, the students were involved, and they acknowledged that some of their colleagues were abusing our policy. For that matter, in the next few weeks, we will roll out this code to ensure that our professionalism as a university is sustained,” he said.

Prof. Mawutor stressed that certain forms of attire, including shorts, bathroom slippers, tracksuits, anklets, nose rings, and unkempt hair, will remain unacceptable in lecture halls as part of efforts to uphold the school’s core value of “Scholarship with Professionalism.”

As part of the revised approach, the university is also strengthening its counselling services to support students who may struggle to comply with the rules.

“We have intensified our counselling section for students. In recent times, management has decided to ensure that we reform rather than sanction,” Prof. Mawutor stated. “Virtually every sanction goes with counselling, such that our counselling directorate will counsel the child, everyone who is either rusticated or punished.”

He commended the counselling directorate, led by Rev. Acheampong, for its role in helping students better understand and adapt to UPSA’s standards.

“We have admitted and acknowledged that we have to help our students, so the counselling directorate is doing so much work to counsel our students who flout our laws,” he added.