What is an OTM?

• An OTM is an "Of The Month" award
• OTMs are used to acknowledge the hard work and dedication to the Student Housing and Residential Life community that individuals, groups, and programs have accomplished during the month you are writing it for
• You can win on the Campus, Regional, and National Level

General Categories

To Submit at OTM for General Categories, visit http://otms.nrhh.org/form_general.php3?coid=99

When is an OTM due?

OTMS are due on the last day of every month and then NRHH and Recognition Chair Members will vote on OTMs on the first day of every month or the following Monday

General Categories

Guiding Questions:

• How did the individual recognize the students she/he advises in the month of nomination?
• How did the individual impact students she/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?

Guiding Questions:

• What brings the group of people together?
• What specific positive contributions did this community make this month to enhance the lives of the group of 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.)

Executive Board Member - This category recognizes the outstanding contributions of an Executive Board member of a member school’s residence life organization and the work of the board member within the Executive Board and across residence life in their campus.

Guiding Questions:

• Is the individual from a residence life governing body or NRHH Chapter?
• Has the nominee used the services and resources of NACURH as well as other campus resources? 
• What outstanding accomplishments merit recognition of this individual month?
• How did the Executive 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 she/he has faced?

Organization - Any organization that has actively contributed to the student leadership, recognition, or other aspects of residence life during the month of nomination. This is for recognition of the organization as a whole and not just the accomplishments of a few members.Emphasis should be placed on the successes of the organization as well as how they have helped the campus in general and the residence life community.

Guiding Questions:

• Is the nomination month specific?
• What is the focus of the organization? (i.e. programming, advocacy, recognition)
• 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?

Resident Assistant – Any individual within a residence hall student staff who has worked with/impacted residents on their floor or in their hall, gone above and beyond the duties of their job, supporting residents in the communities in which they work, supported their residence life organizations, and/or made outstanding contributions to the hall in which they work during the month if nomination. The OTM should focus on the nominee’s accomplishments within the RA role but may also include other roles or responsibilities taken on during the month of nomination, such as supporting the above-mentions organizations.

Guiding Questions:

• How well does the nominee work with residents and what impact has she/he had during the month of nomination?
• How has the nominee fulfilled and gone above and beyond 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?

Spotlight – Anything that does not fall under any of the other categories that you feel is worthy of an Of the Month recognition. Individuals or groups that would be eligible for a nomination in any other category are ineligible for nomination in the Spotlight category.

Guiding Questions:

• 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?

Student – Any individual enrolled as a student at the institution who has made outstanding contributions to the residence halls during the month of nomination. Things to consider may be students who have made a contribution to their floor, hall, residence life organization, etc. through leadership, motivation, programming, volunteering and/or being a role model for other residents during the month of nomination. This OTM may address several areas of student life, such as academics, leadership, involvement and more. Also of importance is how the nominee has balanced their roles as a leader and a student and the display of good academic choices. Advisors, executive board members, first year students and anyone that can be classified as being in the resident assistant category are not eligible for an award in this category.

Guiding Questions: 

• 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?
• How does the student recognize and motivate others?

First Year Student – Any first- year student leader (freshman, transfer student, non-traditional, etc.) who excels in adapting to a new environment within their residence hall and taking an active role in their communities and positively impacting those around them. Submissions in this category may emphasize academics, leadership, involvement, contributions to community, floor, hall, residence life organizations, etc. Individuals that would be eligible for nomination in any other category are ineligible for nomination in the First Year Student category.

Guiding Questions:

• What outstanding contributions did the individual make during the month of nomination?
• How has the 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?

Residence Life Professional Staff– Individuals who aid residents within the housing campus community. This category is intended to recognize the Residence Life Professional Staff who are not eligible for the Resident Advisor category and who have made contributions to the residence life community.

Guiding Questions:

• How did the individual aid the students she/he comes into contact with in the month of nomination?
• How did they individual impact students she/he interacts with during the month of nomination?
• What educational/developmental contribution has this professional staff given to students in the residence halls during the month of nomination?
• What outstanding accomplishments merit recognition of the individual this month?

Institution Faculty/Staff– Individuals who aid students in their academics, which include professors, instructors, teaching assistants, counselors, and other academic affairs staff. This category is intended to recognize institutional faculty and staff who have made a contribution to the residence life community both in and out of the classroom.

Guiding Questions:

• How did the individual aid the students she/he comes into contact with in the month of nomination?
• How did the individual impact students she/he interacts with during the month of nomination?
• Through the course of his/her work, in what ways has this individual contributed to the academic affairs profession?
• What educational/developmental contribution has this faculty/staff member given to the students in residence life during the month of nomination?
• What outstanding accomplishments merit recognition of the individual this month?

Student Staff Member– any individual within a residence hall student staff position that has worked to create a positive experience for the residential community. This category is intended to recognize student staff members while these students are not working in the capacity of a Resident Assistant or Executive Board Member position and who have made outstanding contributions to the residence life community in the month of nomination. Nominees should have gone above and beyond the duties as outlined in their job description, and the OTM should focus on the nominees accomplishments within the student staff role, but may also include other roles or responsibilities taken on during the month of nomination. Examples include any residence life student staff role, including but not limited to: housing student/office assistants, front desk/office assistants/attendants, student maintenance/custodian assistants, marketing assistants, housing ambassadors/tour guides, security assistants, resident hall safety/patrol workers, programming assistant, learning community liaison, diversity mentors and academic support/tutor; however, this should not include paid executive board members of RHA/NRHH, or other hall council positions.

Guiding Questions:

• How did the individual impact students she/he interacts with during the month of nomination?
• What organizations and activities was the individual involved in during the month of nomination?
• What outstanding contributions did the individual make during the month of nomination?
• How does the student recognize and motivate others?

Program Categories

To Submit at OTM for Program Categories, visit http://otms.nrhh.org/form_program.php3?coid=99

Community Service - A service or philanthropic program that benefits a group, charity, or other organization. This could include drives, fundraising, charity runs and/or book fairs, or other specific events. The program should focus on the importance of the residents giving back to their broader communities in which they live.

Guiding Questions:

• What was the service project and who did it benefit?
• How did the project impact the residential community?
• What makes this program unique?
• How does the student recognize and motivate others?

Diversity - A program that promotes and educates about diversity and understanding. This program illustrates the importance of promoting diversity in the residence halls as well as embracing diversity in the everyday lives of the residents.

Guiding Questions:

• 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?

Educational – A program meant to educate residents about a topic, issue or idea. Programs nominated in this category can range from academic success programming, learning a new skill or promoting global citizenship, etc.

Guiding Questions:

• 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 – Any social program that focuses on resident interaction and their ability to meet new people and socialize. Programs in this category can range from being a floor social program to a campus wide program.

Guiding Questions:

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

Passive – Any program that does not require anyone to actively run it for people to participate in it. This category is intended to recognize the residential programming that occurs through bulletin boards, newsletters, pamphlets, etc.

Guiding Questions:

• What were the goals of the program and how were they accomplished?
• What makes the program unique?
• How can the program be adapted to other campuses?

OTM Helpful Hints

Proofread: The better your OTM reads, the better it is as a candidate. A good tip is to carefully reread it in order to find grammar and spelling errors.

Define Acronyms:Remember that different letters stand for different things on different campuses. Help those of us who read them by letting us know what you mean when you say RHA, CV1, CV2, CP, CM, RA, SHRL, etc.

Define Campus Culture: The people who read your OTMs don’t know the importance of people, events, or organizations on your campus unless you make it clear for them. Without this information, the contributions of your nominee can be lost in the selection process.

Give Details: Details allow others to get the whole picture by being able to visualize what the individual did or the program that took place. Details can make a difference between a winning and losing OTM.

Keep Track of Nominees: If you prefer to wait until the last minute to do things, keep a running list of people/programs/organizations that you would like to nominate so that when the deadline comes, you won’t draw blank.

Submit Immediately: For those of you who prefer to get things done early, just get them in. You are more likely to convey passion in your nomination and remember details if the event has recently taken place.

Give Outstanding Qualities: A lot of people do a lot of great things at this university. Help us understand what was extraordinary about your nominee and how they went above and beyond your expectations.

Keep It Month Specific: OTM winners are chosen for their accomplishments during a specific month, not over multiple months. Keep your nomination clear and concise as to the impact made during that specific month.

Keep It Category Specific: Remember that an OTM may be able to fit into multiple categories, so pick the one in which it has the most information on. If you are writing an OTM for a Resident Assistant, the majority of it should not talk about their experience on an executive board. It can be mentioned, but should not be focused on.

Just Do It! Sometimes the hardest thing about writing OTMs is the simple act of sitting down to take the time to do it. Once you start, you’’ realize just how easy it is and learn that it’s a great feeling to recognize others.