What is an OTM?
Of The Month Awards (OTM) are a great way to recognize outstanding people and programs at NKU and any other campus for their work done during the month. Nominations should be month specific and focus on residence hall activities.
What is a BOB?
BOB’s stand for Best of the Bluegrass and are the state version of OTM’s. They are exactly the same thing, just have a different name.
What types of OTM’s are there?
OTM’s fall into two categories: General and Programming. The OTM’s for the General category are: Advisor, Community, Executive Board Member, Organization, Residential Assistant, Spotlight, and Student. The OTM’s for the Programming category: Social Program, Educational Program, Community Service Program, and Diversity Program.
When are OTM’s due?
OTM’s are due to Amber Rogers (Rogersa2@nku.edu) by the 5th of each month. For example if you want to submit an OTM for April, it must be sent to Amber before March 6th.
What information do I need to submit with my OTM’s?
For all OTM’s, the name, address, phone number and e-mail address of both the nominator and nominee. For programming OTM’s, you also need to include the program title, presenter, target population, dates or program, time needed to organize, number of people needed to organize, number of people in attendance, and cost of program. Please make sure to include this when you submit an OTM!
What is the specific criteria for each award?
The Advisor Award:
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.
The Community Award:
This award is designed to recognize the contributions of residential and working 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 community is eligible for this award. For example: wings, halls, floors, complexes, exec boards, RA staffs, etc. Residence life organizations may not be nominated for this award.
The Executive Board Member Award:
Be sure the person you are nominating for this award is eligible to receive it. The nominee needs to be from a campus wide residence hall governing body, not a hall government. Bring out the nominee's special efforts, not just fulfilling the job requirements of the position.
The Organization Award:
This category is to recognize an outstanding residence life organization (such as an RHA, NRHH Chapter, RA Council, or Hall 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.
The Residential Assistant:
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.
The Spotlight Award:
This category is to recognize the efforts of people who do not fall into any other categories; therefore, the nominee cannot be an advisor, exec board member, residential assistant, or student. Possible nominees could be food service personnel, night security staff, or janitorial staff. Please include how this person/group has helped an individual or contributed to the well being of the community.
The Student Award:
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. Please note that campus-wide executive board members, advisors, and residential assistants are not eligible for this award.
The Program Awards:
Educational:
Social:
Community Service:
Diversity:
Want to see some examples?
Click here to check out the regional winners.