Lincoln College dean makes request: Be nice, please

LINCOLN, Ill. — Tina Nutt has a request for the students at Lincoln College in central Illinois: Be nice. Please.

Nutt is the dean of academic affairs at the school. She tells WJBC radio in Bloomington that the college has started a civility initiative aimed at cutting down on bad manners. Lincoln College is located in Lincoln, about 35 miles southwest of Bloomington.

Nutt says she's found that rudeness, profanity and what she calls inappropriate use of cellphones have a big affect on students' academic success.

She says the initiative is intended to improve behavior beyond just the classroom.

The program is modeled on something similar at Rutgers University.