Kuwait Times

Published Date: December 30, 2009
By Nawara Fattahova, Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), located in Mishref, has issued an internal memorandum (dress code) for both staff and students regarding their attire. The university with an approximate student enrollment for the 2009-10 academic year of 3,200, including MBA students, has banned the wearing of indecent outfits such as very tight, very short or transparent outfits for girls. Guys are prohibited from wearing shorts and beach sandals.

The dress code is based on the Law of Universities which includes Kuwait University and all the other private universities in Kuwait. This memorandum is considered a reimplementation of the already existing law. "This law has existed for many years and some students are not respecting it. Some students, especially females, are coming to the university dressed in unsuitable ways which shows disrespect to the sanctity of the university campus," said the administrative employee responsible for the dress code
who asked to remain anonymous.

Although GUST has been operating for about eight years the dress code is only being enforced now. "In fact this memorandum came after we received many complaints from the male students against the female students. They complained of their provocative and indecent outfits. We tried first to tell some of these students in a friendly way that their outfits do not suit the university. The number of violating students is increasing so we decided to issue a dress code to control the situation and to make even ou
r staff aware of it and respect it," she added.

We want to prepare students for their career and work life, where they have to dress in an appropriate way. The university also has its sanctity and it should be respected. We don't want to make the students annoyed or feel pressured. They have to respect the rules and we had to address the many complains that we received," she explained.

Many students are supporting the decision and are pleased with the dress code. "I support the Dress Code 100 percent. I never wear shorts or beach slippers like many of the other students. I always wear a traditional dishdasha or jeans some times," noted Hussein, a student at GUST.

Other students have different opinions. "In fact, the dress code may limit the students freedoms," stated Adel, another student at GUST. "I don't see any relation between shorts and slippers and the Islamic tradition. The Code may be suitable for some of the female students who are wearing provocative outfits who look like they are going to a party and not the university.

Those who used to wear the shorts and slippers are really upset about the dress code. "It was easy to dress up and it let me feel free and light. Also, I hate wearing formal suits or neck ties. I'm not Kuwaiti so I don't wear a Dishdasha. I'm really annoyed," said Mahmoud, a student at GUST.

Rumors regarding some of the new rules spread amongst students. "I heard that the University will force students to wear a uniform. This is not a good decision and it's against their freedom," pointed out Ahmed, another student at GUST.

The administrative staff member quoted above denied the information. "We are not in school to enforce a uniform on the students. This is a university, and students can wear whatever they like as long as it is within the limits of the code dress.

Various students complained about the outfits some teachers and other staff members at GUST wear. "Many teachers and staff, especially the expats, are not dressed well. Some are wearing the outfits of teenagers or really short and opened dresses. I don't think this suits a doctor teaching students as she has to be a good example for the students. So why do they blame the students then?" wondered Fatma, a female student.

The administrative department displayed the dress code all around the campus in both the English and Arabic languages. They also sent it to the students and the staff in their emails to ensure that they will read it and take it into consideration.