Appreciation Days/Weeks

 
Every year a day is set aside to honor student and staff in the residence halls:  RA Recognition Week, Housekeeper Appreciation Week, Student Leader Appreciation Week and Student Employee Appreciation Week.
 
 

UNI Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary

 
Every year the UNI Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary honors students who have contributed significantly to the quality of their communities in the residence system. A maximum of 1% of all students living on campus may receive this honor: induction into the National Residence Hall Honorary.  Each inductee receives a framed certificate and an NRHH lapel pin in a special ceremony. Graduating seniors also receive a stole, to wear at graduation.
 

“Among the Stars”

 

Hosted by UNI’s chapter of NRHH, this annual system-wide recognition ceremony and reception in April culminates a year of residence education efforts. It includes many individual and group awards and expressions of appreciation for advisors and student leaders. Some honorees invite family and friends to this dress-up event.
 
Among the awards are the following:
·         Newcomers of the Year (two per hall)
·         National Residence Hall Honorary Induction (limited to top 1% of residence hall students)
·         Gold Stars (for the highest levels of contributions to the residence system at UNI)
 
 

“Of the Month” Awards

 
N.A.C.U.R.H. (National Association of College and University Residence Halls) is an organization that sponsors monthly awards for leaders and programs. Their nomination forms are also used for recognition by UNI’s National Residence Hall Honorary Chapter. There are several categories of leader and programming awards:
 
-Advisor
-Community
-Programs
-Executive Board Member
-National Communications Coordinator
-NRHH Chapter
-Resident Assistant
-Spotlight
-Student
 
Here are criteria to use when writing nominations:
 
Program of the Month
Criteria Questions:

1. What makes your program unique to other schools?
2. What percent of your target group showed up?
3. Is the cost per person feasible in terms of adaptability to other schools?
4. Did the program have a lasting effect on the residents?
5. Did the program meet all the goals that were set?
6. What was the quality of the program (evaluation)?

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. When writing a nomination for a educational program try to show the relevance or reason the issue being programmed on is needed on your campus. These nominations are not only giving recognition to a group of leaders who have done a super program, but it becomes a resource and a guide for leaders on other campuses.

Resident Assistant of the Month

Criteria Questions:

1. How well does the nominee work with residents and what impact has he or she had during the month of nomination?
2. Does the nominee support and advise (guide) the student leaders?
3. Does the nominee motivate others?
4. Has the nominee fulfilled and gone above his or her job responsibility during the month of nomination?
5. Are there any specific projects in support of hall government or committees?

Advice:

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 they managed to make a difference. Besides programming, you also could include any bulletin boards they have created, how they might have promoted an advocacy month or week, how they has supported their fellow staff members, etc.

 
 

Executive Board Member of the Month

Criteria Questions:

1. How well does the nominee work with other executive board members?
2. Has the nominee fulfilled and gone above his or her officer responsibility during the month of nomination?
3. Is the nominee truly dedicated to the position and supportive of the organization?

 
Advisor of the Month

Criteria Questions:

1. Does the individual recognize the students they work with on task or initiatives that were done well during the month of nomination?
2. How did the individual impact the students they work with during the month of nomination?
3. Did the individual being nominated go above and beyond their professional contributions by the level of work with students during the month of nomination?
4. What outstanding accomplishments merit recognition of this individual this month?

Advice:

The primary 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 and mature. Personal examples are often the best way to express the intangible contributions of an advisor. Talking about some of the problems or conflicts the advisor helped students sort out are also great approaches. Ask yourself why you chose this month above all others to nominate the individual.

Community of the month

Criteria Questions:

1. What brings the group of people together?
2. What specific positive contributions did this community make this month to enhance the lives of the group members or those around it?
3. How does the community interact with other communities?
4. What makes this community different from other communities?  (Examples include participation and enthusiasm as a group.)

Advice:

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.

NCC of the Month

Criteria Questions:

1. What are the responsibilities of the NCC and how did they exceed these responsibilities during the month of nomination?
2. Did the nominee utilize resources available through NACURH and other campus resources?
3. Does the NCC serve on committees beyond the campus level?
4. What outstanding contributions did the individual make during the month of the nomination?

Advice:

The nomination needs to display how the individual has gone above and beyond in their position.  Include the NCC's interaction with the state/sub-region, region, and NACURH.  Describe the NCC's contribution to delegations and to conferences, their ability to network with other campuses, and how they utilize NACURH services.

Student of the Month

Nomination Criteria:

Discuss the outstanding contributions the nominee has made to the residence hall system.

Note: Resident Assistants, advisors, campus wide residence hall government executive board members including NRHH executives are not eligible for this award. However, Hall Council (Government) executive board members are eligible.

 
 
 

Spotlight
Criteria Questions:
1.     What outstanding contributions did the individual/group make to the students living in the residence halls during the month of nomination?
2.     How has the person/group exceeded what would normally be expected of them in their position?
Advice:
      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, NCC, 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.