My dad always compliments them if it’s well-tied.
I had a job once where the rule was that you must wear a tie. I did not like the rule, but needing the job, I complied. So I would where jeans (not forbidden), a plaid flannel shirt, and a “string tie” or bolo. Other days I would wear khaki pants, a paisley shirt, and a hula girl hand painted tie. I even bought and learned to tie a bow-tie.
Eventually, the dress code was abolished as more and more people copied my style (or lack thereof). I wore dress pants and shirt after the change.
My high school dress code required a tie, but didn’t restrict the tie choices other than that it had to be in good taste. Nobody ever tried a scantily-clad-lady tie, but I did see a few fish ties, and some that were in just plain godawful colors (several of which I was proud to own myself).
Ties without jackets are an afront unto the Lord.
Any dress code that either condones or encourages such an atrocity (and the OP’s seems to) should simply be labled “awful, with tie.”
Academic Chic.
Tie with out a jacket? I’d call that “Retail worker.” 
That was the dress code at the supermarket I worked at for years anyway.
A lot of private schools used to require ties but no jacket for boys. I had to wear one for grades 1-5 in Catholic school in the 60s. Girls wore a plaid jumper.
Business casual + tie
Until you get tenure, dress like the other people in your department dress. The important thing is that how you dress shouldn’t be a distraction from your performance. That applies both ways: don’t show in an expensive suit unless other people wear expensive suits.
I’d add a suggestion to discard the outliers* and to look over the fence to see what people in other similar departments are doing.
When you discard data on the weirder members of your department, you eliminate the chance of you showing up in something that will get you talked about in an un-complimentary manner. This is particularly true if your department happens to have an Emeritus on staff. For those not in-the-know, that’s a bunch of salary grades above tenured who just hang out and do what they want, without schedules. They may mentor an exceptionally promising student, or they may spend all of their time pretending to be dead. At the extreme end phase of life, there will be negotiations as to what would be named after him after he dies. In this phase he can often be seen in a plaid flannel shirt and denim or corduroy slacks, often with holes in the knees (from bending) or around the cuffs (no shoes means more wear on the cuffs).
Evaluate similar departments with similar staffing and see if they do anything differently than yours, and see if you can figure out which is closest to the campus norm.
I’ve experienced the full range of this over 25+ years spent at a variety of college / university types.
Then, there’s the tie without a jacket–worn with a short-sleeved dress shirt. Danger, Danger!
To clarify: Everyone (male) there was wearing either a jacket or a sweater.
“Smart Casual” is definitely what was going on, I now see. (Plus tie.) “Academic” is also apt.
-Kris
In my (limited) experience, it’s more common for high school teachers than for college/university faculty. It’s the kind of dress code that says, “We want you to look professional, yet approachable” (or, more cynically, “We want you to look professional, but we’re not paying enough for you to afford suits, expensive shoes, etc.”).
What are you talking about? That was the engineering uniform when I graduated in 76. They just need a holster for their pocket calculator and a clip on polyester tie. At least Chuck can show up at work in sneakers. 
Personally, I thought Kristin Kreuk looked quite fetching in the Nerd Herd uniform, although perhaps not as good as Yvonne Strahovski.
In my field, jeans and collared shirts is the norm. Those a step above wear slacks/chinos and dress shirts, and step up wear a tie. Jackets are rare, even for the tie wearers.
YMMV.
Exactly. I had many of those… of course, I was young, and couldn’t afford the cleaning bills to get the dust/dirt/grime off of the cuffs on long sleeves.
I’m much happier in my business casual world, though I miss the unrestricted 1998-2001 Dot.com IT days.
Well, if she already is hawt, then yes, it takes it to a whole 'nother level. Otherwise… not so much.
As for the dress code described by the OP, I’d call it “Academic Slightly Less Slovenly.”
Business light.
Annie Hall
A room fool of academics? One of the better typos I’ve seen… 