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Of the Months!!!

For those of you who are interested in recognizing someone that makes your life at Bradley University just that much better, you can write an OTMs for them.  Information about OTM's can be found below.  For an OTM form, either click on the link to the left or download the form below.  when you've completed your OTM, you can either Email the file to Beth Brown or print it out and give it to an ARH exec member or the ARH Representative for your Hall Council.  Thank you very much.

General OTM Form                        OTM Form for a Program                      Official OTM Manual
General OTM Online Submission      Program OTM Online Submission

Ok, seriously…what in the heck is an OTM??

An OTM is an “OF THE MONTH”, which is an award that goes to an outstanding executive board member, ICC, RA, program, student, advisor, or spotlight that has dedicated their time to ARH and/or the Residence Halls on their campus during a particular month. 

Sounds good, but I have too many things to do…I don’t have the time!!

When written correctly, OTMs should be a breeze to write!  When a person is truly deserving of an OTM, then the great things that they have done during that particular month should flow right into your head!  Besides, if you did great things during a month, you would want someone to take the time to recognize you, right?? J

 Ok, ok, I’ll write OTMs…but what categories are there??

There are 10 categories that people can be nominated for.  They include:

Advisor

This category is reserved for Advisors of Hall Councils, ARH, and other Residence Hall Organizations.  While writing OTMs in this category, please remember to answer the following questions:

-         How did the individual recognize the students he/she advises within the month of nomination?

-         Did the individual impact students he/she advises during the month of nomination?

-         Through the course of his/her work, in what ways is this person contributing to their 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 he/she makes in the lives of students.  Personal examples are usually 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

    This award is designed to recognize the contributions of residential life 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.  A home is more than just a shelter; it is a place where people come together for the common good.  The Community OTM is designed to recognize and reward these communities that make a difference in the lives of students during a one month span, and to show them that their efforts and dedication has not gone unnoticed.  Since a community is difficult to define, any residential life unit is eligible for this award (i.e. wings, halls, floors, complexes, staffs, etc.).  While writing this OTM you should try to answer the following 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 members or those around it?

-         How does the community interact with other communities?

-         What makes this community different than other communities?  (Examples include participation and enthusiasm as a group.)

 Executive Board Member

        The people eligible for this OTM may be from your Residence Hall governing body (ARH, ARH, etc.) or a Hall Council Executive Board.  Bring out the nominee’s special efforts, not just fulfilling the job requirements of the job position.  You should try to answer the following questions:

-         Has the nominee used the services and resources of IRHA and 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 nomination?

-         How has the individual grown as a result of the challenges he/she has faced?

 ICC

        The nomination for the ICC OTM needs to display how the individual has gone above and beyond in his or her position.  Include the ICC’s interaction with IRHA.  Describe the ICC’s contribution to delegates and the conferences, his/her ability to network with other campuses, and how he/she utilizes IRHA resources.  Try to answer the following questions:

-         What are the responsibilities of the ICC and how did the ICC exceed these responsibilities during the month of nomination?

-         Did the nominee utilize resources available through IRHA and any campus resources?

-         Does the ICC serve on any committees beyond the campus level?

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

Program: Educational, Social, and Comm. Service

        For this OTM, we are looking for creativity, originality, financial feasibility, 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 fantabulous program, but they may become a resource and a guide for leaders on other campuses.  Try to answer the following questions:

-         What was the purpose of the program?

-         What were the goals of the program and how were they accomplished?

-         How can the program be adapted to other campuses?

-         Did the program have positive and lasting effects on residents?

-         What makes the program unique?

Resident Assistant

        An RA should be an undergraduate/graduate student who lives with residents in order to build and facilitate community.  An RA can include, but is not limited to, titles such as resident assistant, community assistant, house manager, area advisor, and complex advisor.  RA’s do not typically supervise a staff.  Include the job requirements and show how the nominee has gone above and beyond those requirements.  Try to answer the following questions:

-         How well does the nominee work with residents and what impact has he or she had during the month of nomination?

-         Has the nominee fulfilled and gone above his or her job responsibility during the month of nomination?

-         Are there any specific projects in support of hall government or committees in which he or she participates?

-         What outstanding contributions has the individual made for the hall he or she works in during the month of nomination?

Spotlight

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

-         What outstanding contributions did the individual/group make to the residence halls during the month of nomination?

Student

        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 his/her community, and his/her activities.  Please not that exec board members, ICC's, and RAs are not eligible for this award.  Try to answer the following 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?

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

-         How does the student recognize and motivate others?

WOW!  That’s a lot of recognizing!  Now that I know the criteria for the OTM award, how do I write it?

Well, it is really a simple process, but you must follow these guidelines!

1.    Use the Official OTM Form and the Official Program OTM Form, which is included in this packet and available at the IRHA yahoo groups homepage.  DO NOT use the NACURH OTM forms!

2.    Fill in ALL FIELDS OF INFORMATION.  The Membership Vice President needs this information in full (and correct) in order to send out the awards.

3.    Type IN DETAIL about the nominee, and be sure to BE MONTH SPECIFIC!  Do not talk about what they did in March if you are turning in an OTM for April!

Ok, so I know what OTM categories there are, how to write them, and where to send them…is there anything else I need to know?

There are a few more things that you need to know!

1.    Each school may submit only ONE nomination for each category, each month.

2.    ALWAYS KEEP OTMS MONTH SPECIFIC (I know that was said already, but it is really important!!)

3.    TYPE, TYPE, and TYPE SOME MORE!  Make sure that your OTMs look great.  Spell check to ensure that your message gets across clearly.  Take your time typing.  Remember to be professional!!

4.    Think Presentation.  PROOFREAD the OTM to make sure that you are clearly saying what you mean to say.

5.    TURN OTMs in ON TIME!  They are due by midnight on the 15^th of every month.  OTMs that are even a minute late will NOT be accepted.  DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!!

6.    Make sure that you are using the correct category!

7.    Define Acronyms.  Acronyms are not universal, so spell them out!!

8.    BE SURE TO HAVE THE CORRECT FORMS!  They are available in many different places