One of the many services of RHA is the 'Of the Month' Award, which is administered through the National Residence Hall Honorary. The 'Of the Month' process recognizes outstanding contributions to University Residence Halls in the following categories: Advisor, Community, Executive Board, Program, Residential Assistant, Spotlight, and Student. Any person affiliated with the residence hall system 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
- 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/COUNCIL/EXECUTIVE BOARD
- 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 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 is eligible for this award. For example: wings, halls, floors, complexes, hall councils, etc.
PROGRAMS
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?
Judging committees look for creativity, originality, financial feasibility, attendance, and adaptability to other campuses. If the nomination is in conjunction with a nationally recognized week or holiday, the nomination needs to display how your campus has approached the program in a new or different way. Show the relevance or reason the issue being programmed is needed on your campus. These nominations are not only giving recognition to a group of leaders who have done a high quality program, but they may become a resource and a guide for leaders on other campuses.
RESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT
- 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
- 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 or programs that do not fall into any other categories; therefore, the nominee cannot be from another categoory listed. Possible nominees could be food service personnel, night security staff, or janitorial staff. Please include how this person/group/program has helped an individual or contributed to the well being of the community.
STUDENT
- 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. |
7. OTM nominations are due to the NRHH via online submission BY the 5th day of the following month
6. Details details details! Remember you are competing against others submission for this category.
5. No Community will earn points for submitting an OTM if it is not approved by the NRHH.
4. 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 because this is where any and all notification will be sent. Anonymity of the nominator may be maintained by the National Office.
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.
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.
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.
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