When you fill out an OTM form, you need to be as extensive as possible and as anonymous as possible. Please refrain from using names and area/residence hall locations within the nomination. Nominations are due the 25th of every month by 11:00 p.m. If you are unsure of what to write and need some suggestions, please look below.

Ready to fill out an OTM nomination? Please use the following two links:

I want to submit a Program OTM

I want to submit a General OTM

Sample Nominations

OTM Advice

Who can nominate?
Anyone can nominate someone who they feel meets the criteria described below.

When are nominations due?
OTMs are due by the 25th of every month, and can be submitted instantly online using the above links.

Why should you fill out an OTM?
Everyone enjoys knowing that their hard work is appreciated. It feels good to be recognized and to recognize other. Besides, you or your nomination could become famous NATIONAL WINNER!

What are some of the criteria?

Program of the Month (community service, diversity, educational, social, passive or campus wide)
What makes your program unique from what is done at other schools?
Is the cost per person of your program feasible in terms of adaptability to other schools?
Did the program have lasting effects on residents?
Did the program meet all the goals that were set?

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?

Passive:
* What was the passive project?
* Who did it benefit?
* How did the project impact the residential community?
* What makes this program unique?

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 was the purpose of the program?
* How did the program relate to diversity?
* How were the needs of the community addressed?
* What were the goals of the program and how were they accomplished?
* What makes the program unique?

Campus Wide:
* What was the purpose of the program?
* How was the program advertised?
* What makes the program unique?
* How can the program be adapted to other campuses?
* What was the program a social success?

Advice:
For both educational and social programs, the judging committees look for creativity, originality, financial feasibility, percent of 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. Expanding on the adaptability question is always helpful; try to list resources used, etc. These nominations are not only giving recognition to a group of leaders have done a super job on programming, but in becomes a resource and a guide for leaders on other campuses.
With an educational program nominee, some consideration is given to the relevance of the issue so mention if your campus is having a certain problem or circumstances that the program addressed. Timeliness of response to an issue is also a favorable quality in an original program. Nominations for the community service program should list resources contacted, expand on the purpose of the program, and describe the success of the program.
With diversity programs, awards are given to programs that explain how they have educated a group on different diversity topics or promoted diversity in order to better the community.

General OTMs (advisor, community, exec. board member, organization, RA, student, spotlight)

Advisor of the Month
Did the individual recognize the students they work with during the month of nomination?
Did the individual impact the students they work with during the month of nomination?
Is the individual being nominated more for their professional contributions, or more for their work with students during the month?
What outstanding accomplishments merit recognition of this individual this month?

Advice:
Unfortunately this is the most intangible category, and advisors need to create a supportive environment for the leaders they work with over a long period of time, so we recognize this is a hard nomination to write. The focus should be on the advisory roles the person fulfills rather than professional or supervisory roles. The nomination should display how the advisor was instrumental in helping the leaders grow, learn, develop a,d mature. When the individual serves on committees and does work for an organization, they are not in the role of an advisor. This type of information is considered secondary to advisory capacities. Personal examples are often the best way to express the intangible contributions of an advisor. Talking about some of the problems of conflicts the advisor helped students sort out is also a great approach. Ask yourself why you chose this month above all others to nominate the individual. Please be sure to include the nominator's relationship to the nominee. AD's in their stall supervisory role are not eligible for the Advisor OTM. This category is limited to advisors of organizations and Residence Life Head Staff.  

Exec. Board Member of the Month
What contributions has the nominee made to the residence halls?
What contributions has the nominee made to other campus organizations?
What outstanding contributions were made by the individual during the month of nomination?

Advice:
Be sure the person you are nominating is eligible for the award. The nominee needs to be a member of the Executive Board for your campus-wide residence hall government, not hall-wide government. If the person fills more than one role which would make him/her eligible for more than one award, the nomination needs to focus on the contributions he/she has made in the role in which he/she is being nominated. This category should be approached similarly to the Student Of the Month category. We are looking for those special efforts, not just fulfilling the job requirements of the position.

Organization of the Month
Since this is a new award, see advice below for criteria.

Advice:
This category is to recognize an outstanding residence life organization (such as an RHA, NRHH Chapter, RA Council), 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.

Resident Assistant of the Month
How well does the nominee work with residents and what impact have they had during the month of nomination?
Does the nominee support and advise students?
Does the nominee motivate others?
Has the nominee fulfilled and gone above their job responsibility during the month?

Advice:
This is another category in which nominations have been found to be not month specific, so watch out for the tendency to include extraneous information. We look for unique contributions to the position, so you might include any difficult confrontations the RA had to deal with or crisis situations with which he/she managed to make a difference. Besides programming, you also could include any bulletin board he/she's created, how he/she might have promoted an advocacy month or week, how s/he has supported his/her fellow staff members, etc. Please be sure to include the nominator's relationship to the nominee.

Spotlight of the Month
Since this is a create your own award, the criteria varies with each nomination.

Advice:
This award is intended to recognize outstanding OTMs that don't fit into any set category, such as Graduate Assistants, Food Service Personnel, night security, etc. Nomination will be submitted to the NRHH National Office by Regional Associate Directors when a deserving OTM nominee does not fit into any existing category. The award has no set criteria and requires only a consensus of the NRHH Office judges. Please make sure to use the proper Spotlight Of The Month OTM form when submitting your nomination.

Student of the Month
What organizations and outside activities has the nominee been involved with during the month of nomination?
What interaction did the nominee have with RHA, individual hall councils, or their floor during the month?
How well does the student motivate and work with others?
What outstanding contributions were made by the individual during the month of nomination?

Advice:
This category is intended for the new or average student leader who puts forth special effort during the month of nomination. We are looking for a special effort or growth on the part of the nominee. We want to know what made this individual extraordinary that month and how he/she has contributed to making the residence hall system better on your campus. The nominator has much latitude with this category, so take it away. Please note that Residence Assistants, National Communication Coordinators, Advisors, and campus-wide residence hall government executive board members are not eligible for this award.