Students at all campus locations must present themselves in a way that promotes a safe educational environment and
meets industry standards for professionalism. While MIAT/UTI’s standards are designed to prepare students for the industry, employers may have more stringent guidelines. Students should be aware of this when participating in interviews on and off campus. In addition, some courses and programs may have more specific safety requirements related to dress code expectations.
General
The following general guidelines are applicable to clothing, jewelry, exposed skin, personal items, vehicles, and other similar items:
- No vulgarity, profanity, sexually or racially provocative, derogatory, or otherwise socially controversial words, images, or paraphernalia may be displayed.
- The above standard applies to tattoos; any tattoos that meet the above standard must be covered by the appropriate length of clothing.
- No threatening or violent words, images, or paraphernalia, hate group association/affiliation or hate speech may be visible.
- Drug, alcohol, or gang-related words, images, or paraphernalia is not acceptable. No club or color patches may be worn on campus.
No student should be disproportionately affected by dress code enforcement because of racial identity, sex assigned at birth, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability status, ethnicity, cultural or religious identity.
Caps/Hats/Headwear
- Students may wear a MIAT/UTI, industry-related, United States Armed Forces, or plain baseball, other brimmed-style type cap, or knit cap. Caps may be facing forwards except when in lab working with equipment. Caps must be in good shape, clean, and have no rips or tears. Students may wear a bandana or similar type head wrap when trying to keep hair away from the face during lab. Religious headwear is also permissible unless it presents safety concerns in the lab setting.
Clothing/Uniform
- Trousers are to be solid-colored, and without any rips or tears. Blue jeans, corduroy pants, and commercially available work pants are acceptable. Pants must fit appropriately, worn at the waistline, and secured with a belt to prevent them from slipping below the waist or touching the ground. Multi-colored pants, overalls, cutoffs, sweatpants, yoga/ workout pants, shorts, camouflaged pants, and pants with oversized pockets are not permitted.
- Approved MIAT/UTI uniform shirts, including MIAT/UTI t-shirts and polo style shirts as appropriate, are acceptable. Uniform work shirts must be worn buttoned from the second button down. Shirts with tails must be tucked in. Uniform shirts are not to be cut or altered. Vests of any kind are not allowed.
- Hoodies may be worn, but the hood must not be worn over the head while in a MIAT/UTI building. Drawstrings may present a safety risk and must be tucked into the hoodie while in lab.
- Students may wear a shirt under the uniform shirt or MIAT/ UTI logo apparel, but the uniform shirt or MIAT/UTI logo apparel must be the outermost garment layer.
- All clothing (shirts, pants, hoodies) must be clean, in good repair without holes, rips or tears.
Footwear
- Students must wear shoes or boots with oil/slip resistant soles and a robust upper material that ensures safety in the lab environment.
- If the shoe or boot has laces, the laces must be tightly laced with the tongue in.
- No gym or canvas shoes, flip-flops, sandals, open-toed shoes, or high-heeled shoes are allowed.
- Steel toe shoes are not required.
Jewelry/Piercings/Implants
- Dangling items presenting a safety hazard must be secured or removed while working in the classrooms and labs. Jewelry around the neck cannot hang outside of the shirt.
- Students will be asked to remove jewelry items that pose a safety-related concern or disrupt proper instruction as determined by the Institute and Instructor.
- Students are allowed to have only post or stud type earrings. Dangling or hooped earrings are not allowed. Body piercings, including facial and tongue piercings, are permitted as long as they do not cause a safety risk. Industrial bars of any size or shape cannot be worn.
- Facial, microdermal, transdermal and subdermal implants are allowed provided they are simple stud or gem types.
- Ear piercings larger than standard earrings must be plugged with solid plugs of a single color.
Hair Policy
Students are required to keep their hair and facial hair neat, and well groomed at all times, in such a manner that it will not be caught in the equipment. Hair styles must comply with professional and safety standards. In all lab settings, hair must be secured away from the face and eyes as well as all equipment, so it does not pose a safety threat. For hair that extends beyond the collar, this generally means the hair must be fastened securely to the back of the head or secured away from the face with a hair clasp. Hair may be placed in a bun or single ponytail, but a ponytail should be tucked into the shirt during lab. Students may wear a bandana or similar type head wrap in order to keep hair away from the face during lab.
Other
- Safety glasses must be worn at all times while working in labs. All glasses must meet ANSI standards with approved side shields. Blue light blocking lenses are permissible provided they meet safety standards. Sunglasses or shaded safety glasses may not be worn during class unless Student Services approves their use after submission of a medical doctor’s note requiring that they be worn.
- ID badges must be worn at all times when on campus. The badge must be unaltered and worn above the waist on the outermost layer of clothing so it can easily be viewed by any staff member. Pictures or names may not be covered.
- Chain wallets, key rings, key chains, cell phones or any other items that hang from the waistline of the pants are not allowed in lab areas, as they may cause a safety concern or scratch the vehicles/motorcycles.
- Students may not wear headphones or play music on personal devices, including cell phones, while in class or the lab.
- Cell phones must be on silent mode and put away (out of sight in pocket or backpack) during class and lab. They may not be worn clipped to clothing or on a belt.
Students in violation of the dress code are subject to disciplinary action, including dismissal from class, and/or dismissal from school if guidelines are not followed after advisement. The Campus President, Director of Student Services, and/or the Education Director will review unresolved disputes on a case-by-case basis and make a final determination. Safety and professionalism will always take precedence in matters of dress code interpretation.
Students who need an exception to this policy due to medical or religious reasons should contact Student Services for appropriate next steps.