NORMAL - Mandatory business attire jeopardizes an array of student rights at Illinois State University, from the right to organize to the right to access university services, according to the Student Government Association.

Student leaders are fighting a dress code enforced this week by the marketing department in the College of Business, claiming the policy violates the association's constitution, specifically the students' bill of rights.

According to Section 1, Letter J of that document, students have "the right to be free from any mandatory dress code."

Tim Longfellow, chair of the marketing department, said both the Student Affairs office and the university's general counsel gave the department the OK to require students attending marketing classes to wear business-casual attire.

"We felt like it was definitely important to make sure we weren't running afoul of the law," he said.

Representatives from the Student Affairs office did not return calls from the Pantagraph, and general counsel referred all questions to university spokesman Jay Groves.

"I think what's going on right now is just a good healthy discussion," he said. "I commend (the SGA) for everything they're doing."

Groves noted that no other university documents prohibit dress codes, only the student bill of rights. He didn't know if the student bill of rights carries any weight in the discussion of university policies like the marketing department's dress code.

The policy isn't entirely new. Certain marketing courses have required business-casual attire since 2003, and nursing and speech pathology students are often required to wear certain attire because they work with clients, Groves said.

But Student Body President Dave Horstein said superseding the SGA constitution compromises the entire student bill of rights.

That document, which students approved via referendum most recently in 2006, covers a number of issues:

• "The right in the classroom to full freedom of expression …

• "The right to organize registered student affiliations."

• "The right to affiliate with any registered student organization without adversely affecting the student's standing …"

• "The right to receive financial aid from public funds …"

• The full document is available at www.sga.ilstu.edu.

"We're students. We care that we chose to attend a public university that gives us the ability to establish a bill of rights," Horstein said. "I really want to preserve the integrity of that document. It represents all 20,000 students."

He said the marketing department should have conferred not only with the SGA constitution, but the Academic Senate as well. Doing so would preserve the "shared governance" that includes ISU students, faculty and other interested parties in decision-making processes involving university policies, he said.

"I'd like (the dress code) to be changed from a mandate to a recommendation," said Horstein, a member of the Academic Senate.

Under the current policy, students found in violation can be asked to leave the classroom and lose credit for that day's work. Repeat offenders could effectively fail the class.

Horstein and university administrators are in ongoing meetings on the issue.