Attire Guidelines

The School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt is committed to providing a safe and secure environment and a positive learning atmosphere. SSMV students are expected to dress appropriately at all times while participating, showing respect for themselves and others. SSMV students should dress in a “College and Career ready” manner, meaning a preference for shirts with collars, sweaters, or blouses instead of t-shirts and tank tops. Additionally, leg-wear should include jeans and pants, and not sweatpants, pajama pants, or jeans with holes in them.

The guidelines below will be enforced since our classroom is classified as a laboratory, and students periodically visit other research laboratories on campus. Adherence to the guidelines below will ensure the highest level of safety and reduce skin contact with hazards that may be present in a laboratory.

  • Laboratory Safe Attire

    Open-toed shoes, sandals, and flip-flops may not be worn. Students will periodically conduct lab experiments as part of the curriculum, so protective footwear should be worn to reduce foot contact with possibly hazardous liquids or solids.

    For lab safety purposes, shorts, cropped shirts, and skirts may not be worn. Pants must fall at or below the ankle. If a student’s personal belief system requires wearing a dress or skirt, it must fall below the knee. All School for Science and Math students must adhere to the SSMV Attire guidelines when attending class on the Vanderbilt campus. Exceptions may be made for field-based research studies, but students will be informed prior to the scheduled activity if an exception is granted.

  • Attire Guidelines Summary

    Students MUST dress in “laboratory safe” attire:

    • Open-toed shoes, sandals, and flip-flops may not be worn.
    • Shorts and skirts may not be worn.
    • Clothing must cover torso, shoulders, and legs.
    • We are not the Fashion Police – this is for your safety!

    SSMV students SHOULD dress in a “college & career ready” manner, meaning:

    • Shirts with collars, sweaters, blouses
    • SSMV t-shirts 🙂
    • Pants and jeans

    Save for another time:

    • Sweatpants, pajama pants, jeans with holes, crop tops

    SSMV reserves the right to modify this policy as necessary and reserves the right to determine what might be unprofessional or unsafe.

    Updated: 8/1/2025

CONNECT WITH SSMV