Download pdf - National Residence Hall Honorary Mercer University OTM ... · OTM Category Criteria The regional OTM website provides criteria for each category of OTM’s. These criteria are looked

National Residence Hall Honorary Mercer University

OTM Guide 2013-2014

Table of Contents What is an OTM?………………………………………………………...4 Setting Up Your OTM Account………………………………………….4 Finding the Right Category……………………………………………….5 OTM Category Criteria…………………………………………………...5

Advisor……………………………………………………...............6 Custodial/Maintenance...…………………………………………...7 Desk Attendant.………………………………………………….....7 Executive Board Member….………………...……………………...8 First Year Student………………………………………………......9 Graduate Assistant…………………………………….…………..10 Institution Faculty/Staff...……………………………………........11 Neighbor…………………………………….…...……………......12 Organization………………………………………………….........12 Passive Program……………………………………………….......13 Programs...…………………………………..………………….....14 Residence Life Faculty/Staff…………………..…………………..16 Resident Assistant…………..……………………………………..17 Residential Community………………………………………........18 Roommate…………………………………….…………………..19 Spotlight…………………………………………………………..19 Student…………………………………………………………....20

What is an OTM? Of The Months (OTMs) are ways for National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) to recognize outstanding contributions to Mercer University and other campuses of Colleges and Universities across the United States. OTM’s are the primary source of recognition throughout NRHH. Winning OTM’s written at Mercer University are then graded on the regional and national levels. OTM’s are separated into seventeen different categories that are graded on the various campus, regional and national levels. It is important to submit an OTM by 11:59pm of the 4th day in each month.

The OTM categories are:

Advisor **Custodial/Maintenance Desk Attendant Executive Board Member First Year Student **Graduate Assistant Institution Faculty/Staff **Neighbor Organization

Passive Program Programs Residence Life Faculty/Staff Resident Assistant Residential Community **Roommate Spotlight Student

Setting up Your OTM Account Visit the NRHH website at http://otms.nrhh.org to set up an account and submit OTMs. On the middle left side of the web page click “Create Account.” This will direct you to a page to select your university. Select “Mercer University.” After selecting your university, fill out the account information and “Submit.” You have successfully created you NRHH OTM account! This account does not deactivate. If you have trouble remembering your password or need to reset your password, contact your chapter’s current administrator, Josh Gaisser.

http://otms.nrhh.org/

http://otms.nrhh.org/

Finding the Right Category When writing an OTM, you want to choose a category that fits your purpose for recognizing a particular person. Sometimes the OTM categories can overlap when you apply them to specific people on our campus, and especially within the Office of

In the end, it is all about finding what an OTM writer is trying to recognize a person for, and using your best judgment to pick a fitting category.

OTM Category Criteria The regional OTM website provides criteria for each category of OTM’s. These criteria are looked at when OTM’s are judged. When writing an OTM, it’s important to remember that our campus may not be the only people reading it. Your OTM might make it to a regional or national level where your readers are unfamiliar with something like an LLC program. Please explain acronyms when first mentioned, and give brief descriptions of positional duties or functions.

General OTM Nomination Form

All OTM’s will be submitted through this form except for the Community Service, Social, Educational, and Diversity programs.

Program OTM Nomination Form

The program nomination form has extra questions to fill out and is a different format than the general OTM form.

Advisor of the 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 they make 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.

Criteria/Questions:

! Is the nomination month specific?

! Did the individual recognize the students they worked with within the month

! How has the individual contributed to their profession?

! What outstanding accomplishments merit recognition of this individual this

! How has the individual gone “above and beyond” their duties as an advisor?

Custodial/Maintenance of the Month This category is intended to recognize the custodians and maintenance people on campus. It is not graded on a regional or national level yet. Criteria/Questions:


! Did the individual support the students they worked with within the month of

! How has the individual contributed to their profession?


! How has the individual gone “above and beyond” their duties as an employee?

This OTM category has a maximum word count of 600 words.

Desk Attendant of the Month

A desk attendant should be an undergraduate who represents and works for a hall or office promoting the halls by going “above and beyond” their duties. Include the job requirements and show how the nominee has exceeded those requirements. Be sure that the nomination is month specific and discusses how the individual has exceeded the expectations of their job. If the OTM discusses any additional work done by the person’s job outside their desk attendant position, it will belong in another category.

Criteria/Questions

! How well does this nominee work with residents and what impact have they had during the month of nomination?

! How has the nominee fulfilled and gone above their job responsibility during the month of nomination?

! Are there any specific projects in support of residence life or committees in which they participate?

! What outstanding contributions has the individual made for the hall they live in during the month of nomination?

Executive Board Member of the MonthThis 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 halls on their campus. It is extremely important in this category to nominate a person for their duties in an executive board position. Many times, the OTM reads as a Student OTM. Special efforts, not just fulfilling the job requirements of the position, help make this OTM category special. Make sure you include some of the responsibilities of the position so the reader will know how they truly went “above and beyond”. Be sure to briefly include other activities the student is involved in. This shows that they are a well-rounded leader and able to perform well in their position and still participate in other activities.

Criteria/Questions

! Is the nomination specific?

! How has the individual exceeded their job responsibilities this month?

! How has the individual grown as a result of their work this month?

! Did the nominee make outstanding contributions to the organization during

this month of nomination?

! What contributions did the nominee make to the SAACURH region this past

month?

First Year Student of the Month

Any student 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.

Criteria/Questions

! What outstanding contribution has the nominee made to the residence hall community during the month?

! How has this person impacted the residence halls and campus?

! What interaction did the nominee have with their residence hall government or individual hall during the month of nomination?

! What organizations and activities was the individual in during the month of nomination?

! How does that student recognize and motivate others?

! How has the student grown throughout their experiences during the month of nomination?

Institution Faculty/Staff of the Month

This category is intended for staff or faculty members that contribute their time and assistance and go the extra mile for the benefit of the people around them. These are individuals who aid students in their academics, which includes professors, instructors, teaching assistants, counselors, and other academic affairs staff. This category is intended to recognize institutional faculty who have made a contribution to the residence life community both in and out of the classroom. Be sure to specify the duties of the faculty or staff and how they have exceeded these duties for the specified month. You may discuss additional boards or committees the faculty member sits on that are not necessarily in their job description.

Criteria/Questions

! What outstanding contributions did the individual make during the month of nomination?


! What organizations and activities was the individual involved in during the month of nomination?

! How does this faculty/staff recognize and motivate others?

Neighbor of the Month

This category is intended to recognize hall mates and suitemates within the residence halls. It is not graded on a regional or national level.

Criteria/Questions


! Did the individual support the students they lived with within the month of

nomination?

! How has the individual contributed to their community?


month?

! How has the individual gone “above and beyond” their duties as a resident?

Organization of the Month

This category is to recognize an outstanding residence life organization (such as RHA, NRHH Chapter, RA Staff or hall council), not an outstanding member. When writing an OTM it is important to review the purpose of the organization and the reasons for nominating the organization. Nominations should be organization specific and not concentrate on the efforts of a few individuals. Also, write specific goals during that month that made this organization stand out for that month.

Criteria/Questions


! What accomplishments did the organization make this month?

! How did the organizations action benefit the community/building/campus?

! 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?

Passive Program of the Month

Passive programs are those that do not require active interaction but allow students to participate on their own time. When writing an OTM for a passive program, be sure to include the duration of the program. Focus on the creativity, visual aspects, functionality, etc. One must include the origin of the program. Has it been before or was this a new idea? When the program was created, what were the intentions? When determining the target population, do not select a number people you wanted to attend. Depending upon where the passive program is placed, will determine the target population and attendance. If it was on a floor then the target population will then be the population of the floor. If the passive program was presented to an entire building the target population is the entire building.

Criteria/Questions


! What makes the program unique from what is done at other schools and what has been done in the past?

! Is the program creative? If it is not a new program, what new twists were added to make the program different from previous years?

! What lasting effect did the program have on residents?

! What were the goals of the program and how were they met?

! What was the overall quality of the program (evaluation)?

! How was the community effected by the program?

! What did the students learn from the program?

! Where was the program displayed?

Program of the Month(Community Service, Educational, Diversity, and Social)

Community Service Program

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 the broader communities in which they live.

Diversity Program

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.

Educational Program

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.

Social Program

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

When determining the target population, do not select a number of people you wanted to attend. If you advertise for a program for a whole building or campus population, the total population is the number to be used. If the program is for a floor, the number of residents that live on a floor is the population, not the number of people you hope show up. It is very important that the dates of the program are correct. The grading committees check this information. When writing a program OTM, focus on the creativity, originality and functionality of the program. New and unique programs are always popular. If it’s an annual program, what twists were added to make it better? Mention how the program was approached by the presenters as well. Expanding on the goals of the program and the evaluation of the goals and program as a whole is beneficial. Include resources used, attendance, etc. to round out the OTM. These nominations are not only giving recognition to a group of leaders that have done an excellent job on programming, but it becomes a resource and a guide for leaders on other campuses. Write the OTM so someone from another campus can read the OTM and recreate the program from that information.

Criteria/Questions


! What makes the program unique from what is done at other schools and what has been done in the past?

! Is the program creative? If it is not a new program, what new twists were added to make the program different from previous years?

! What percent of the target audience showed up?

! Is the cost per person feasible in terms of adaptability to other schools.

! What lasting effect did the program have on residents?

! What was the overall quality of the program (evaluation)?

! How the community effected by the program?

! Was the diversity program a program that focuses on a particular aspect of

diversity?

! What did the students learn from the program?

! Did the social program encourage interaction between students?

These OTM categories have a maximum of 1400 words. The OTM is dived into six sections: five 200 word sections and one 400 word section.

Residence Life Faculty/Staff of the MonthThis category is intended to recognize the Residence Life Faculty/Staff who are not eligible for the Resident Assistant category and who have made contributions to the residence life community. These staff or faculty members contribute their time and assistance, and go the extra mile for the benefit of the people around them. This award is relevant to a single person of an entire staff. Be sure to specify the duties of the faculty or staff and how they have exceeded these duties for the specified month. You may discuss additional boards or committees the faculty member sits on that are not necessarily in their job description.

Criteria/Questions

! What outstanding contributions did the individual make during the month of

nomination?


! What organizations and activities was the individual involved in during the

month of nomination?

! How does this faculty/staff recognize and motivate others?

Resident Assistant of the MonthNew and creative approaches to the position show a true dedication to helping out the students. If possible, include any difficult confrontations in which the RA intervened or crisis situations where they managed to make a difference. Those situations should be brief, but give a glimpse into their job. Also, include how the RA interacts with their residents. What does the nominee do on their floor with their residents? What types of creative programming ideas has the nominee done? Besides programming, also include any bulletin board the nominee created and how the nominee promoted an advocacy month or week in a passive situation. In addition, do not forget to mention how the nominee has helped and supported their fellow staff members. It is also beneficial to include personal testimonies from residents and fellow staff in the OTM. Be sure to include some of the RA’s duties and how they have gone “above and beyond” them because the duties of an RA vary from campus to campus. Other things that might be beneficial to include are committee involvement, involvement in other organizations, maintaining an exceptional GPA or having organized a particularly close community.

Criteria/Questions! Is the nomination month specific?

! How well does the nominee work with residents and what impact have they

had during the month of nomination?

! How was the nominee fulfilled and gone above their job responsibilities during

the month of nomination?

! Are there any specific projects in support of hall government or committees

that they participated in?

Residential Community of the MonthThis category is another award that recognizes the intangible. A community is a group of individuals that share a sense of belonging with other members of the group and share experiences that bind them together and make them a mutually identifiable group. An outstanding community is one that makes a positive impact on not only the other members of the group, but also the people and students around them. Make sure to include how the community exists, whether it is a wing or floor of a residence hall, the executive board or committee of an organization, or another on campus group of students. Items to include in the Community OTM are activities the community does together and what accomplishments they have made during the month. Specific examples of cohesiveness are encouraged. A community can be as small as a few people (an executive board) or as large as a whole building, apartment complex, or campus.

Criteria/Questions:


! What brings the group of people together? Examples include, but are not limited to, hall, floor, wing, suite, and committees.

! What positive contributions did this community make to enhance the lives of the group members or those around them?

! How does the community interact with other communities?

! What makes the community different from other communities? Examples include participation and enthusiasm as a group, fewer discipline problems, etc.

! What accomplishments has the community made this month?


Roommate of the MonthThis category is intended to recognize roommates within the residence halls. It is not graded on a regional or national level yet.

Criteria/Questions:


! Did the individual support the students they lived with within the month of nomination?

! How has the individual contributed to their community?

! What outstanding accomplishments merit recognition of this individual this month?

! How has the individual gone “above and beyond” their duties as a roommate? (give specific examples)


Spotlight of the Month This award is intended to recognize outstanding OTM’s that don’t fit into any set category, such as Residential Programming Assistants (RPAs), Dining Services Personnel, full-time desk receptionists, etc. The nominee cannot be an advisor, executive board member, resident assistant, desk attendant, faculty/staff member, first year student, or student. Include how this person has helped out an individual or contributed to the well-being of a building or living community. RHA’s are not a spotlight. A spotlight cannot be a favorite professor. There is a faculty/staff category where professors may be submitted for the outstanding service. This category is the catch-all of OTM’s. If you are unable to find a category appropriate for the OTM, it will go in the Spotlight. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask the Recognition Chairperson.

Criteria/Question:


! Does the nominee fit only into this category?

! How does the individual or group interact with on campus students?

! How did the nominee impact the students they worked with during the month of nomination?

! What interaction did the nominee have with an on campus government or individual organization during the month of nomination?

! What other outstanding accomplishments merit recognition of this individual this month?


Student of the MonthStudent of the month wards can be written for 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 no eligible for an award in this category.

Critical/Questions:


! What organizations and activities has the nominee been involved with during the month of nomination?

! What interaction did the nominee have with their on-campus government or organization during the month of nomination?

! Does the student work well with and motivate others?

! What contributions has the nominee made to our region during the month of nomination?

! What other outstanding contributions were made by the individual during the month of nomination?

! How has the individual been important to on-campus living this month?