To submit an OTM, go to: http://otms.nrhh.org. Under "Submit OTMS" in the left hand column, click on either general category or program category, depending on what you are writing about. The next page will say "Please select your University." From the list of schools in the dropdown box, select SUNY Oneonta, then fill out the form. If you have any questions, please contact Alicia Opela at opelaq23@suny.oneonta.edu.

 

DUE DATE:

The 8th of each month
NRHH "OF THE MONTH" (OTM) AWARD GUIDE
 
One of the many services of NACURH, Inc. is the 'Of the Month' Award, which is administered through the National Residence Hall Honorary. The 'Of the Month' process recognizes outstanding contributions to College and University Residence Halls. Use the General Cagegory OTM form for the following categories: Advisor, Community, Executive Board Member, Organization, Residential Assistant, Spotlight, Student, Residence Life Faculty/Staff, and Institution Faculty/Staff. Use the Program Category OTM form for the following categories: Social Program, Educational Program, Community Service Program, Diversity Program and Passive Program.  Any school affiliated with NACURH is eligible to make or receive an 'Of the Month' award and/or nomination.  The OTM must me month specific, meaning the nomination should only focus on the month for which it is written.  The information outlined below is designed to assist you in writing a quality nomination.

ADVISOR OF THE MONTH

  • How did the individual recognize the students s/he advises in the month of nomination?
  • How did the individual impact students s/he advises during the month of nomination?
  • Through the course of his/her work, in what ways is this person contributing to the student affairs profession?
  • What outstanding accomplishments merit recognition of the individual this month
Advisors need to create a supportive environment for the student leaders they advise.  The focus of the Advisor OTM should be based on the impact s/he makes in the lives of students. Personal examples are often the best way to express the intangible contributions of an advisor.  The nomination should display how the advisor was instrumental in helping the leaders they work with grow, learn, and develop.

COMMUNITY OF THE MONTH

  • What brings the group of people together?
  • What specific positive contributions did this community make this month to enhance the lives of the group members or those around it?
  • How does the community interact with other communities?
  • What makes this community different from other communities?  (Examples include participation and enthusiasm as a group.)
This award is designed to recognize the contributions of residential and working communities and the impact they have on their students and the rest of campus.  The mission of residence halls is to provide a home away from home for students.  The community OTM is designed to reward communities to show that their efforts and dedication has not gone unnoticed.  It will also help promote pride and unity within on-campus communities.  Since a community is difficult to define, any residential life community is eligible for this award.  For example: wings, halls, floors, complexes, exec boards, RA staffs, etc. Residence life organizations may not be nominated for this award. 

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER OF THE MONTH

  • Is the individual from the campus-wide residence hall governing body (i.e. Residence Hall Association) or NRHH Chapter, not a specific hall government?
  • Has the nominee used the services and resources of NACURH as well as other campus resources?
  • What outstanding accomplishments merit recognition of this individual this month?
  • How did the Exec Board Member exceed the responsibilities of his/her position during the month of the nomination?
  • How has the individual grown as a result of the challenges s/he has faced?
Be sure the person you are nominating for this award is eligible to receive it. The nominee needs to be from a campus wide residence hall governing body, not a hall government.  Bring out the nominee's special efforts, not just fulfilling the job requirements of the position.

ORGANIZATION OF THE MONTH

  • Is the nomination month specific?
  • What is the focus of the organization? (i.e. programming, advocacy, recognition, etc.)
  • How did the organization contribute to the residential community and the general community of the institution?
  • How did the organization interact with the region and with NACURH?
  • What set this month apart from other months?
This category is to recognize an outstanding residence life organization (such as an RSO, NRHH Chapter, or Hall Government), not an outstanding member.  Nominations should be organization specific and not concentrate on the efforts of a few individuals.  Review the purpose and goals of the organization before writing the nomination. 
PROGRAM OF THE MONTH
Program of the month awards are given in the following four categories:

Educational:

  • How did the program educate students?
  • How were the educational needs of the community addressed?
  • What were the goals of the program and how were they accomplished?
  • What makes the program unique?

Social:

  • What was the purpose of the program?
  • How did it encourage residents to interact with one another?
  • What makes the program unique?
  • How can the program be adapted to other campuses?

Community Service:

  • What was the service project?
  • Who did it benefit?
  • How did the project impact the residential community?
  • What makes this program unique?
  • How did students take an active part in the program?

Diversity:

  • What were the goals of the program and how were they accomplished?
  • How did the program serve to promote diversity and understanding?
  • What makes this program unique?
  • Did the program have a lasting effect on residents?

RESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT (RA) OF THE MONTH

  • How well does the nominee work with residents and what impact has s/he had during the month of nomination?
  • How has the nominee fulfilled and gone above his/her job responsibility during the month of nomination?
  • Are there any specific projects in support of hall government or committees in which she/he participates?
  • What outstanding contributions has the individual made for the hall she/he works in during the month of nomination?
A residential assistant should be an undergraduate/graduate student who lives with residents in order to build and facilitate community.  A residential assistant can include, but is not limited to, titles such as resident assistant, community assistant, house manager, area advisor, and complex advisor.  Residential assistants typically do not supervise a staff.  Include the job requirements and show how the nominee has gone above and beyond those requirements.

SPOTLIGHT OF THE MONTH

  • What outstanding contributions did the individual/group make to the students living in the residence halls during the month of nomination?
  • How has the person/group exceeded what would normally be expected of them in their position?

This category is to recognize the efforts of people who do not fall into any other categories; therefore, the nominee cannot be an advisor, exec board member, residential assistant, or student.  Possible nominees could be food service personnel, night security staff, or janitorial staff.  Please include how this person/group has helped an individual or contributed to the well being of the community.

STUDENT OF THE MONTH

  • What outstanding contributions did the individual make during the month of nomination?
  • How has this person impacted the residence halls and campus?
  • What interaction did the nominee have with his/her residence hall government or individual hall during the month of nomination?
  • What organizations and activities was the individual involved in during the month of nomination?
  • How does the student recognize and motivate others?

This category is intended for a student leader who puts forth special effort during the month of nomination.  Possible things to include in the nomination could be leadership development, contribution to the people in her/his community, and his/her activities. Please note that campus-wide executive board members, advisors, and residential assistants are not eligible for this award.

NRHH's QUICK TIPS FOR WRITING WINNING NOMINATIONS 

  1. Make sure your nomination is month specific!  It is very important to highlight the outstanding things that the nominee did and how they did it in the month of nomination.  Use phrases like "in the month of ____ they did…"  Keep this in mind throughout the whole OTM nomination.
  2. Presentation is the key!  Proofread the OTM to make sure you are clearly saying what you want to say.  Look out for bad grammar and spelling errors.
  3. Make sure you are using the correct category for your nominee.  This is s common error people make.  To avoid mistakes look at the criteria on the previous pages.
  4. Define acronyms; they are not always universal!  The only acronyms you should use are NRHH, NACURH, RSO/RHA, NCC, and region name (e.g. NACURH).
  5. Use the correct forms!  This means that you should only be using the forms that say "Revised 1999" on the form.  No outdated forms will be accepted and unfortunately these nominations will not be considered.
  6. Type the complete address and name of the nominator and nominee on the form in the space provided.  This is the name that will be printed on the certificate if you win regionally and/or nationally.  Write the address clearly because this is where any and all notification will be sent. Anonymity of the nominator may be maintained by the National Office.
  7. Nominations must not go over the maximum word count limit.  Do not attach any additional information or include information on the back of the form.
  8. Each NACURH affiliated school may submit ONLY one nomination for each category per month.
  9. TYPE, TYPE, TYPE!!! Make those OTMs look great by typing them.  The National Office will not accept them in any other form.
  10. OTM nominations are due to the NRHH Regional Associate Director (RAD) via e-mail or postmarked by the 15th of the month following the month of nomination (a nomination for the month of October must be postmarked to the RAD by November 15th).

Material from The ABCs of NRHH

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