All students and faculty must agree to adhere to a strict honor code. The
BYU honor code governs academic behavior, morality, and dress and grooming standards of students and faculty, with the aim of
providing an atmosphere consistent with church principles. Students must commit to being honest, chaste and virtuous; abstaining from illicit
drugs, alcohol, tobacco, coffee and tea (substances forbidden by the Word of Wisdom); using clean language; and abiding by the guidelines for dress,
grooming, and housing. For example, skirts and shorts must reach to the knee and shirts may not be sleeveless. Male students may not sport beards or goatees without permission, usually granted to men with severe
skin conditions aggravated by shaving; or to men whose religious beliefs, such as Islam
or Sikhism, require them to wear beards. Students must live either in on-campus
housing or in off-campus housing which has been approved by the University. The specifics of the honor code provide a perpetual
topic for debate among the students and alumni.