Differing Codes of Honor

I’ve always been curious as to why Church schools have different Honor Codes. At BYUI, for instance, men cannot wear shorts or slippers to classes; apartments are also monitored by an “apartment manager” who ensures things such as people are in their apartments by midnight (1am on the weekends), and enforces things such as the following:

Men and women may visit in apartments of the opposite sex beginning at noon. All must leave in time to arrive at their own apartment by curfew. Visitors need to be in compliance with the following guidelines:

1. There should always be at least three people in an apartment being visited by a member of the opposite sex.

2. Drapes and blinds must be left open during the visit.

BYU Provo is somewhat different. As are the other church schools.

Seeing as how the honor code is about maintiaining “the highest standards” (consider this from Provo’s webpage: All who represent BYU, BYU-H, BYU-I, and LDSBC are to maintain the highest standards of honor, integrity, morality, and consideration of others in personal behavior.), and rooted in common scripture (once again from Provo’s webpage: We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men. . . . If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.) , why are there different Honor Codes? Is one more “honorable” than the other?

Personally, this may provide us with a good way of thinking about the local application of universal norms, as well as our expectations of our peers to abide by these local applications (especially in a global context, which church schools at least attempt to be).