The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has faced strong public criticism, particularly across social media, following a viral video that allegedly showed students being forcibly removed from lecture halls by a task force over violations of the university's dress code.

A memo, purportedly from the tertiary institution and dated June 30, 2025, and sighted by GhanaWeb outlined the renewed enforcement of the school’s dress code.

It stated that, effective July 1, 2025, a task force would be stationed at strategic points on campus to ensure students adhere to the university’s dress code policy.

The memo further cautioned that students would not be allowed into lecture halls if they wore unkempt hair, shorts, bathroom slippers, tracksuits, anklets, or nose rings, among other prohibited accessories.

"Management is concerned about the indecent dressing of students on campus, especially during lectures. Students are reminded that the University policy has NOT CHANGED, and the DRESS CODE POLICY WILL BE STRICTLY ADHERED TO. You are, therefore, reminded to keep abreast with the provisions on the dress code as stated in the Undergraduate Students' Handbook, 2018 on the University's website," portions of the memo read.

"With effect from July 1, 2025, a task force will be positioned at strategic locations on campus to enforce the dress code and bring sanity to campus.
Note, that you will not be allowed into lecture halls with unkempt hair, shorts, bathroom slippers, track suits, anklets, nose rings, etc., to mention a few," it added.

It appears that some students failed to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the university’s 2018 Undergraduate Students’ Handbook, resulting in them being prevented from attending lectures on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.

Viral videos captured some of these confrontations, including an incident where a female student was seen being dragged out of lectures.

While some students claim this particular incident was due to an exchange of words rather than solely dress code, the broader enforcement has undeniably sparked outrage.

Critics acknowledge the university’s stated efforts to enforce discipline and uphold its code of conduct, which emphasizes "scholarship with professionalism."

However, many argue that banning items such as nose rings, anklets, and other forms of personal expression constitutes an overreach, especially at the tertiary level.

They warn that such strict and potentially arbitrary enforcement could set a dangerous precedent, undermining the very intellectual climate a university is meant to foster.

Some students have also reported inconsistencies in the enforcement, with claims that the task force disproportionately targeted Level 100 students while older students were seemingly less scrutinised.

Public commentators, including Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Eric Edem Agbana, and legal scholar Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare (Kwaku Azar), have weighed in.

Agbana described the directive as "unacceptable and an overreach," while Kwaku Azar cautioned UPSA to "tread carefully," emphasising that while institutions have rights to set standards, these must "respect dignity, uphold rights, and accommodate diversity."

In response to the backlash, Dr Ibn Kailan Abdul-Hamid, Head of the Marketing Department at UPSA, has stated that the university has launched an internal investigation into the incident.

He reaffirmed the university’s commitment to professionalism and discipline, noting that the dress code policy is long-standing and aims to prepare students for the corporate world.

The UPSA SRC President, Prince Bentil, has also defended the policy, asserting it is clearly outlined in the student handbook and enforced to maintain professional standards.

The incident has ignited a national debate about the balance between institutional rules, student freedom of expression, and the appropriateness of forceful enforcement in a university setting.

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