Students in business classes dress up for the occasion.
Every day.
Many business professors require students dress professional for class so they can become acclimated to dressing appropriately in the workplace.
Business professor John Kachurick makes his students abide by a dress code, which calls for business casual attire. If students are presenting in class, they are required to sartorially step it up.
“I have a belief that they way you practice is the way you play the game, and so they are going to be business people, and in business the way you dress matters,” says Kachurick.
Junior physical therapy major Corey Reviello dresses in khakis and a button-down shirt for his human resources management class with Kachurick. His roommate, junior sports management major Joe Winter, usually dresses in a polo and khakis.
“I didn’t find it to be an issue when the dress code was laid out for us. I just had to remember to bring back some dressier clothes from home,” said Reviello.
Kachurick believes students get in a habit of dressing a certain way and he wants to ensure that it is in a way that a working professional should dress.
“If you dress in jeans or very sloppy, that becomes a habit for you. So when you do go to finally get a job, you’ll have a tendency to dress a little more sloppy than if you had practiced this over the years that you were in school,” said Kachurick.
Kachurick understand that the times have changed over the twenty-eight years that he had been teaching, and students dressed less formally. But sometimes casual duds go too far.
“When students started showing up to classes in pajamas, I knew it was time to put in a dress code,” said Kachurick.
Kachurick knows that some students might find it unnecessary, but also knows the importance of a respectful personal presentation.
Reviello said he doesn’t mind spiffing up a little. “I know I am going to have to dress up for my job when I graduate, so dressing up for one night a week isn’t all that bad,” said Reviello.
Kachurick believes t all classes should have dress codes to help acclimate students used to the nicer clothes they will soon be required to wear.
“We are not only trying to educate you intellectually; we are also trying to get you to fit into society. If you get a job and you have a college education, they way you dress does matter. First impressions are extremely important. If you give a bad first impression, it is hard to overcome it,” said Kachurick.
Reviello admit that he also dresses up for his other classes.
“I do enjoy the change that I have to dress nice for Kachurick’s class. It gives me a time to dress up during the week when I normally wouldn’t. The hardest part was actually remembering to bring the clothes from home,” said Reviello.
Kachurick thinks that the dress code helps prepare students for the professional interview process.
“They are used to wearing suits, so they are not bouncing all over the place when they are being interviewed,” said Kachurick.
Kachurick said students have thanked him for helping them get prepared for interviews and the job world
“My idea that if you go for an interview and a man has never worn a tie or a woman has never worn high heels, they tend to fidget. They are just uncomfortable for their interview. They say, ‘Having to dress while I was coming to class really helped me get through that interview,’” said Kachurick.