I only speak from my own experience. A lot of people have scruff on campus. Nobody says anything (only my experience). The only real enforcement pipeline is at the testing center and the fitness facilities. I gladly would shave before a test or using a gym on campus because it saved me $25,000/yr as opposed to going to the other school I was accepted to and chose BYU at the last minute.

Perhaps the fear is that if you give an inch, they go a mile. Is the fear irrational that students would grow Brigham beards and get scraggly looking faces? I don't know. Some people argue that they shouldn't even care. Nevertheless, our current cultural standards of facial hair typically perceive a clean-shaven look to be the "most professional".

As an honest question do you have a problem with the military academies/services, new york Yankees etc having a similar grooming policy? Maybe you see BYu as a completely different type of organization and I respect that. I'm just curious.