OCM NRHH Building Block Chapter of the Year Omega Eta Lambda Chapter University of Arizona- IACURH
NACURH 2016 at the University of Delaware
Regional Letter of Support
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Table of Contents About Executive Board Goals and Accomplishments Obstacles Budget Membership Recognition OTMs Academic Development Service Leadership Development Programming Cohesion with RHA Regional and National Involvement Establishing an Identity Letters of Support
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Omega Eta Lambda Spring Inductions (2016)
About Us The Omega Eta Lambda Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) was founded at the University of Arizona 26 years ago. NRHH is the premiere honorary to recognize and further encourage the development of the leaders living on campus. Over the years the chapter has seen periods of growth and struggles. In the past few years Omega Eta Lambda has had trouble retaining members and reevaluating the vision of the organization with a full overhaul of the governing documents in the previous affiliation year. With just 13 active members in August 2015, the Executive Board set its sights on expanding the chapter’s size and overall impact on campus. In the fall semester alone, Omega Eta Lambda has made tremendous achievements, overcome challenges, and made strides for the long-term future of the organization.
“NRHH offers an amazing sense of community and home. The people are truly amazing and help all students find a home on the University of Arizona Campus.” -Alex Westby; Hopi RHA Rep
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Pictured above are our inductions classes from Fall of 2015 and Spring of 2016 at the newly created Inductee Party.
Pictured above is our “Active Member Bowling” night. To the left is a photo of attendees at “Cool for the Summer Kickoff” making blankets for Project Linus.
Executive Board Members
Hannah Aksamit President
Junior-Psychology MajorHannah was on the NRHH Executive Board for the 2014-2015 school year as the Vice President of Recognition and has continued to fall in love with the Omega Eta Lambda Chapter. Through her growing passion in Residence Life, she became the NRHH President for the 2015-2016 school year. Hannah also sits on the RHA Executive Board to help bridge the gap between the sister organizations. She continues to learn and share her positive drive with the entire UA campus.
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Holly Durr
Jesse Lafarga
Ashlee Fenn
Evangelina Lopez
Director of Campus Communications
Director of Membership
Director of Recognition
Director of Leadership and Service
Junior-Speech/Language/ Hearing Sciences, Linguistics, and Deaf Studies MajorHolly does so much more than just send out the minutes and take notes during meetings. Her energy and smile radiates the warm and welcoming atmosphere that the Omega Eta Lambda Chapter strives for. Holly utilizes social media to continue to market the chapter’s events and to recognize. She works with the Director of Leadership and Service to offer scholastic events to aid in the academic success of active and potential members.
Sophomore- English MajorThe Omega Eta Lambda Chapter is forever evolving after each year. The difference between this year and past years is that Jesse, along with the rest of the executive board, strives to increase recruitment efforts. This year’s board wants to establish a more grounded identity within our campus while continuously brainstorming and executing those efforts to reach close to, if not the maximum, of our chapter cap size. Jesse’s dedication to the chapter has already shown with all of his recruitment events and continuation of hosting engaging socials for members.
Sophomore-JournalismRecognition is a powerful tool that continues to be underused, and Ashlee is creating new, innovative ways to make people across campus feel appreciated. She makes writing OTMs look easy. Her excitement for recognizing across campus really shines through when she explains why it’s so fun and important to thank people for the great work they are doing.
Junior-Global Studies MajorEvangelina goes above and beyond the call of duty: she works to have one service project per month for active/ potential members to attend. She works with Holly to execute leadership and academic workshops to engage and better our students. She is conscientious about being diverse with service project opportunities recognizing that not everyone wants to or can participate in certain activities.
Goals and Accomplishments
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1) Growth of the Chapter by 200% The Omega Eta Lambda Chapter was pretty small in size with just over a dozen active members at the start of this academic year. However, that did not discourage the EBoard; rather, it motivated them to induct many new qualified members.This has been incorporated into the chapter’s goals by focusing on new recruitment efforts and recognition across campus. UA’s NRHH had inductions this fall semester for the first time in years in order to grow the size, participation, and impact of the chapter. Impact- Although the chapter was three new members away from meeting our goal, we recruited 23 new members into the the Omega Eta Lambda Chapter. By increasing our chapter size, it has increased our involvement on the campus-level. We have started new initiatives for our active members to participate in such as joining a program-planning or recognition week committee to gain new leadership skills. This shift in involvement has changed the culture of the chapter for the better to making active members feel much more valued than in the past. With more active members we have more students to participate in service and recognition projects, increasing the reach and impact our leaders have in the community.
When affiliating for this school year, the Omega Eta Lambda chapter had a total of 13 active members. With induction classes of 13 new members in the fall and 10 in the spring, the Omega Eta Lambda chapter has already grown by over 175%. New initiatives like the big/little program and a signature campus wide program are in place to continue this growth for future years.
2) Use Innovative Strategies to Promote Recognition Using recognition to its full potential has been extremely beneficial with recruiting and retaining members. This year, the NRHH EBoard wants to have an array of recognition projects for the General Body to participate in. These projects range from recognizing a staff member or organization as a group, to providing our members with the resources they need to recognize each other. NRHH uses social media to recognize the programs, workshops, socials, and “You Rock” recipients on the UA campus - even creating a hashtag (#UABetterRecognize) to continue to get the organization’s name known at the campus level. NRHH has also emphasized taking photos to compile a slideshow for the end of the year. Impact- This year we implemented a recognition week which took the power of thanks to a whole new level. By recognizing departments and groups on campus that rarely, if ever, receive recognition continues to motivate them to serve as resources to our students knowing their time and efforts are valued. Our efforts have challenged our members to re-think recognition, and become more creative and intentional with their acts.
Goals and Accomplishments cont. 3) Diversifying Programming and Outreach In order to provide more leadership opportunities for the students on our campus, NRHH does its best to make events inclusive, accessible, and on different days to appeal to multiple interests and abilities. The University of Arizona’s Residence Life promotes social justice and sustainability as their core values, and NRHH tries to take these into consideration when planning programs, socials, and recognition/service project opportunities. Examples include having more passive recognition projects and active service projects, such as volunteering at Habitat for Humanity. Impact-By offering a variety of service projects from volunteering at a soup kitchen for those in need in the Tucson community to creating blankets for Project Linus that goes to children in hospitals, our chapter is able to reach beyond our residence halls and into the greater communities we are a part of. The Eboard also hosted programs in residence halls that have not been programmed in previously to offer resources to new students. In regards to sustainability, we have implemented new efforts such as side-walk chalk to reduce on paper-waste to advertise, and have organic, inclusive options for food at events.
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4) Make our Presence Known This year’s Executive Board charged full speed ahead to create more of an established identity for NRHH on the UA campus level. They hit the ground running by having an active presence in Hall Involvement Team, a leadership opportunity for students to move in early, attend workshops, and help other residents move in. They presented multiple NRHH 101 sessions, academic success workshops, and recognition opportunities throughout the fall semester establishing who they are as an organization and making growing leaders aware of the opportunity to join. The EBoard tabled on the UA Mall during the club/organization fair within the first couple weeks of both the Fall and Spring to continue to get their name known on the campus level. The EBoard reached out to the Community Directors of the residence halls and asked if they could flier in the buildings to advertise their first social: a mixer at Paradise Bakery. They also created formal invitations and door decs for active members inviting them to the first general body meeting. The Eboard went to hall council meetings to let the members know about our organization, as well as, that we offered two scholarships to on campus residents. Impact- By getting Omega Eta Lambda’s chapter name out there, we have dramatically increased the size of our chapter. We have learned new ways to market and advertise and the best practices to recruit and retain our members. We have fostered stronger relationships in and out of Residence Life which will serve as a foothold for years to come.
Over the past year, NRHH has faced a transformational year for its growth in membership, Executive Board responsibilities, and advocacy in finance. In the process of this kind of growth, the Omega Eta Lambda Chapter also encountered several obstacles. However, through collaboration, strategic planning, and innovation, we have learned from these challenges and grown in our problem-solving abilities.
Membership
Challenge: Resolving any discord between Executive Board and General Body expectations. Solution: With the change in our constitution at the end of last year, many of our chapter requirements created a shift in the prioritizing of activities and initiatives. Once the NRHH Executive Board learned of this disconnect, they decided to administer a survey to collect feedback from Active Members. As a result, we learned more about their interests and what they were hoping to gain from their membership, and tailored our spring initiatives accordingly.
Challenge: Balancing our efforts to retain active members while also growing our chapter. Solution: While the fall semester focus mainly on recruitment efforts, the Executive Board has shifted its focus towards providing engaging and rewarding experience for our active members (such as Active Member-only meetings and socials, committee opportunities, mentorship
Obstacles
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Executive Board Responsibilities
Challenge: Interpreting a new and reformed constitution and applying it to the dynamic structure of our Executive Board. Solution: Though many Executive Board positions were restructured with additional duties, some of the responsibilities still remained unclear. Rather than defaulting to assumptions that another EBoard member would fulfill those duties, NRHH’s EBoard established clear communication with one another and worked collaboratively to learn from each experience and improve throughout the year. NRHH also accomplished this through a comprehensive retreat for the Executive Board, where each member assessed their goals and reflected on how they can collaborate with others to achieve them.
Challenge: Adapting to the rigors of the NRHH President’s role as a full-time RHA Executive Board member. Solution: This was the first year in which the NRHH President took on all the responsibilities as an exofficio member, including attendance at all RHA functions, serving as a District Buddy to 6 Hall Councils, and supportive other members of the RHA Executive Board. Since the NRHH President, Hannah Aksamit, also serves as a Resident Assistant and Desk Assistant, this combination of positional requirements in addition to the full-time work as an RHA EBoard member was determined to be too much for one student leader to balance while also focusing on their academics. As a result, the NRHH President worked with RHA to communicate these concerns, and effectively adjusted the positional requirements to be more realistic.
Financial Advocacy
Challenge: Expanding the budget in proportion to the chapter’s growth in membership. While these obstacles have not been easy to overcome, they have provided opportunities for our chapter as a whole to learn and grow. The Omega Eta Lambda Chapter has been lucky enough to communicate with other school across the region for advice, and is happy to provide any additional resources or information to other NRHH Chapters who may be facing similar challenges.
Solution: While NRHH’s relationship with RHA functions most similarly to a sibling, the funding relationship is still parental, as NRHH receives all its funding from RHA. As a result, NRHH is planning long-term solutions to develop independence in its funding. However, for this semester, NRHH submitted legislation to transfer excess RHA funding in order to cover the costs of an unprecedented number of inductees and events such as service projects, socials, academic workshops, and recognition activities.
Budget
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The NRHH Budget of $4,000 is split into four line items: Scholarship, Recognition, Recruitment and Retention, and General Fund. This funding is allocated in the University of Arizona’s RHA budget and spending is at the discretion of the five NRHH Executive Board members.
Each year NRHH offers two $500 scholarships open to all students living on campus, not just chapter members. The Budding Rose scholarship is awarded to an exceptional first-year student at the University of Arizona and the Sparkling Diamond scholarship is awarded to a returning undergraduate who has at least one full year of academic study remaining at the time the scholarship is awarded. Financial Advocacy The goals of the organization were set at a high level at the beginning of the year, leading the Executive Board to request an additional $2,500 from RHA, which was approved by its General Body. These extra funds will allow for the campus-wide program to occur and help maintain the quality of recruitment and inductions. The organization is also working on an autonomous split from RHA to completely manage their own funds for the years to come. Omega Eta Lambda would get $1 of the $51 student fee to fund the organization.
NRHH Budget and Spending 2014-2015 Budget
Spent
Remaining
Scholarship
$1,000
$1,000
$0
Recognition
$1,000
$854.16
$154.84
Recruitment and Retention
$1,000
$985.80
$14.20
General Fund
$1,000
$887.14
$112.86
Summary
$4,000
$3727.10
$272.90
At the conclusion of the last academic year there was a remaining balance of $272.90 with a total of 6 inductees at spring inductions.
NRHH Budget and Spending 2015-2016 Budget
Spent
Remaining
Scholarship
$1,000
$500
$500
Recognition
$1,600
$1,169
$394.85
Recruitment and Retention
$2,100
$1,700
$3.50
General Fund
$1,500
$1,242
$136.48
Summary
$6,500
$4,611
$1031.33
The Omega Eta Lambda Chapter still has to purchase a tent, and did not have anyone apply for the first year student scholarship which is why a $500 still remains in the line.
The Recognition line serves to purchase the materials necessary for NRHH members to recognize outstanding leaders throughout the year and traditional induction recognition items, pins, and certificates. The Recruitment and Retention line is used to purchase any items necessary to recruit members, such as tabling supplies and socials, as well as costs associated with induction ceremonies including decorations and food. The General Fund is used to support the costs of NRHH General Body meetings including providing snacks, purchasing Executive Board polos, and the purchase of T-shirts for the active members. While this has been the structure of the budget for multiple years, it does not accurately enrapture the spending of the organization which is why a new budget model was created for Spring 2016 including lines to fund workshops, service, and advertising.
At the start of the spring semester there was $2,111.68 with $1,000 set aside for the two scholarships. The fall semester’s spending included many socials and an induction class of 13 members and a winter retreat for the executive board.
Membership
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Building Dedication
From year to year the UA’s Omega Eta Lambda Chapter has dealt it’s cards to a diverse and energetic set of individuals that continue to play the game and strive for success within the Residence Hall Communities. Following the reconstruction of the Chapter’s constitution came the guidelines for what NRHH confidently believes defines each membership category. The Omega Eta Lambda Chapter consists of the following membership families: Potential Membership Active Membership Early Alumni Membership Alumni Membership Honorary Membership The existence of these categories allows for several different opportunities to be taken by student leaders on campus. The UA’s NRHH Executive Boards from the 2014-2015 academic year and 2015-2016 academic year has spent a great deal of time going to the drawing board to determine how to maintain efficient recruitment and retention efforts within the chapter. Below is what the final product currently consists of — active and potential membership for the Chapter. Active Membership Qualifications Must write 2 OTMs Attend a combination of ten (10) activities that NRHH plans Regularly attend meetings Be in good standing and maintain a 2.5 GPA Potential Member Qualifications Shall attend at least 1 general body meeting and 3 activities that NRHH plans in order to show interest.
The Story of the Diamond Family The UA’s NRHH Chapter has been lucky enough to hit the jackpot when it comes to inducting a diverse number of impactful leaders that strive for further development in their strong and weak areas. The transition between the previous academic year to today’s current date appeared as challenging because of the decrease in membership as illustrated in the graphic. Many 3rd and 4th year students were a valuable part of the chapter and transitioned into becoming Early Alumni as well as Alumni members because of internships, job searches, and future endeavors. However, the current Executive Board along with the help of active members that have stood with the chapter have built a family of 25 current members, doubling the previous amount with the decrease; the Omega Eta Lambda Chapter now consists of about 40% of its current cap and is striving to grow to that cap by the end of the Spring 2016 semester. Our spring inductions/banquet are happening April 27th, and the chapter hopes to match or increase this induction class.
Recognition
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Traditions Snaps: At each NRHH General Body Meeting, nice warm and fuzzy notes, otherwise knowns as snaps, are written by attendees and placed into a jar. At the end of the meeting, the snaps are read and everyone leaves feeling good about themselves. Snaps are an easy way for other individuals to recognition other individuals for being an awesome person and a great leader! You Rock: Weekly, a decorated rock that says “You Rock” is presented at each RHA General Body Meeting in efforts to recognize an individual who has stood out and ultimately ‘rocked’ being a leader that week. S’More Leaders Like You: This is an annual recognition project that had been done at Hall Leadership Camp for three years. S’mores were available for all who wanted one at the bonfire held in the evening.
Recognition Week This was just one of our new initiatives this second semester that recognized a different organization, group, or club on campus every day of the week. As an organization, we have recognized leaders on a regional level at IACURH 2015 by presenting influential leaders with a dinosaur egg filled with a quote.
Traditions Made Better
(Improvement) Snaps: With a budget increase, we are looking into purchasing snap jars for Hall Councils. Providing residents with the means and excitement to recognize others is part of our efforts to increase recognition outside NRHH. (Improvement) You Rock: Along with giving out You Rocks at RHA GBM, recipients of the rock are given a special note explaining why they rock. Along with that, a photo of the recipient with the rock is posted on social media as a way to further recognize each individual. (Improvement) S’More Leaders Like You: This year, along with a S’Mores Bonfire, NRHH presented a recognition program titled, A Minion Ways to Recognize. During this program, those who attended were able to make their own, “moon” You Rocks as well as other small recognition items. Those who attended were also educated on ways to recognize others within their halls.
“Snaps are one of my favorite parts of NRHH. They are such an amazing way to recognize my fellow campus leaders and friends who do so much to better our campus. The make me feel so grateful and appreciated and loved.” -Mackenzie Dowling
Of The Months Of The Months Of The Months, or OTM’s are an essential element UA uses as effort to recognize individuals, groups, organizations, programs, etc. of the great things that are going happening on campus and on in the Tucson community. Campus winning OTM’s are recognized through Facebook and are also awarded a certificate. This year, we have focused our OTM submissions on quality rather than quantity. Even though NRHH and RHA executive boards are required to write four a semester, many write more that that because they understand the power of recognizing others on a regional and national level. This year, we have won 13 Regional OTMs, and 7 NACURH OTMs. All together, we have had 101 OTM submissions.
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Academic Development As an honorary, the ultimate mission of the Omega Eta Lambda Chapter is to support students. We recognize that our student leaders are students first, and thus have arranged opportunities in the organization to financially and academically support these students.
NRHH Scholarships Each year, Omega Eta Lambda awards two $500 scholarships to students living on campus. While this tradition originated based on the “scholarship� pillar for NRHH, it was preserved in the NRHH budget to continue supporting students in their pursuit of higher education. Budding Rose: First year students currently living on campus and planning to return in the fall are eligible for this scholarship. The applicants must also maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher, represent a commitment to academics, and demonstrate the chapter’s values through leadership in order to qualify for the award.
Sparkling Diamond: A second year or higher student is the recipient of the Sparkling Diamond scholarship. Candidates are required to have a 3.0 or higher GPA, and must also clearly demonstrate a commitment to recognition and service.
Scholastic Skills Series
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In the Fall of 2015, we introduced a new workshop series that is aimed at providing a variety of academically-focused presentations and resources for our members so they can focus on their success as students. Last semester, the topics included Learning Styles, Memory Tips, and Finals Preparation. These turn-outs ranged from 10 students to 25, both active and potential members. NRHH collaborated with other campus entities, including ThinkTank (an academic skills tutoring service), RHA, and Mindful Ambassadors (a Campus Health initiative promoting mindful practices to reduce stress on college campuses). This semester, NRHH has scheduled the following workshops: Finding Your Ideal Study Environment, Time Management, Mid-Term Motivation, Advocating for Yourself as a Student, and Focused on Finals. By tailoring workshops to specifically meet the needs of the student leaders in the chapter, Omega Eta Lambda has received overwhelmingly positive feedback towards these initiatives.
These scholarships are reviewed and selected by the advisors and unbiased staff members. As a result of awarding these scholarships, the Omega Eta Lambda Chapter has had an increase in recruitment (attracting students through the scholarship) and retention (positively reinforcing academic achievement so students are maintaining the GPA requirement).
Service
“NRHH is a really great organization. They challenge students to achieve their highest potential, all while keeping in mind the needs of the community.” Eduardo Granados; Posada san Pedro President
Community service plays a prominent role in the NRHH Omega Eta Lambda chapter at the University of Arizona. We value service because we understand that although service benefits the community, it also assists in developing leadership skills for students across campus. As Dorothy Height wisely stated, “Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It's important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It's the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.” At the U of A, we have strived to diversify community service opportunities for students living in the residence halls by reaching out to a variety of UA campus organizations and the Tucson community. This allows students to gain knowledge in how to give back to their community as well as understand how social justice plays a role in service. Service projects have included working with the UA Campus Pantry, The Ben’s Bells Project, Habitat for Humanity, and the JDRF 2015 Diabetes Walk.
Omega Eta Lambda braved the wind and cold, even after losing their tent to participant and volunteer to set-up for the UA Relay for Life walk in April of 2016. Members and potentials members joined the team to walk until 3 am to raise money for cancer research and awareness.
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Furthermore, for the November 2015 service project, the NRHH General Body had the opportunity to choose between volunteering for a Melanoma or Diabetes walk, which allowed members to fulfill their own interests. The General Body decided to assist with the JDRF 2015 Diabetes Walk, which aims to combat Type 1 DiabetesNow, with the commencement of the Spring semester, members will be give the opportunity to participate in at least one service project per month. The first service project will be the first week of February at Casa Maria Catholic Worker Community. Members prepared and served meals to those who are underprivileged.
The U of A has engaged in serving local non-profit organizations. For example, NRHH organized a group to go and volunteer at Ben’s Bells as part of a social and service project this past September. The Ben's Bells Project aims to encourage the community in inspiring, educating, and motivating one another by spreading kindness. The bells are hung up throughout the community randomly to practice intentional kindness.
In addition to Ben’s Bells, the U of A has engaged in serving the Tucson Community by volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. NRHH gave the opportunity to active/potential members to participate in a Group Build in October 2015.
Leadership Development and Workshops The Omega Eta Lambda chapter at the University of Arizona has take a long stride in executing diverse programs to engage a plethora of residents as well as enrich their leadership skills. In order to successfully transition into a new school year, the 2015-2016 NRHH Executive Board assisted in hosting workshops during Hall Involvement (HI) Team training before the academic school year commenced. HI Team consisted of residents who wanted to take the initiative in developing their leadership skills through training and assist in moving in and welcoming new residents. During training, the E-Board educated residents on what NRHH is by programming a “NRHH 101” workshop and introducing NRHH’s main values to the residents. This was also a vital step towards recruitment efforts.
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Lastly, NRHH assists in promoting campus wide programs by opening the floor to the general body during meetings and giving members the opportunity to talk about programs occurring in their halls. This new practice has allowed members to serve as a voice for their residence halls because active/potential members relay the information to their Hall Councils.
The chapter is dedicated to enhancing leadership skills by instilling the values of recognition and service within members. Members have been given the opportunity to participate in several recognition and service projects in order to understand these values and become role models within their own residential communities. For example, NRHH hosts monthly OTM parties. OTM Parties occur the last Sunday of each month, and anyone who wishes to write an OTM is welcome to come to the RHA office to get help, ask questions, or edit their OTMs with the aid and guidance of others. Additionally, beginning in Fall 2015, the new Director of Campus Communication and Director of Leadership & Service have worked together in programming leadership workshops for residents all across campus.
RHA’s Spring Leadership Camp was renamed and made bigger and better into “REVAMP.” It was a miniconference style day of programming, presented by RAs, Eboard members, and hall council members alike. NRHH put on a leadership workshop called “Beyonce’s Steps to Success” and it had a great turn out!
Programming
“As a transfer student, they made me feel at home and welcome from the first meeting.” Elinor Henderson, Yavapai RHA Rep
Campus Wide Programming
The Omega Eta Lambda Chapter has consistently gone through a period of growth and development with its campus identity and building knowledge about their organization on a campus level. With that, active members of this current academic year took an outstanding initiative to want to help build that identity. In turn came the creation of a Campus Wide Programming Committee overseen by two of the Executive Board Members to give members an opportunity to practice and further development their programming skills on a larger level. This is NRHH’s first year in implementing a committee like this which entails details that the committee would be responsible for such as: funding, logistics, activities, and execution on the day of. This committee is also open to any other potential members interested to further develop their identity as a Diamond. This initiative has proven to create more participation among the general body of NRHH and will hopefully strive for success for future chapter members to come.
Big/Little Program
NRHH’s Executive Board has also used their mid year assessment and Spring semester interviewing process to gage how interested this year’s members would be in mentoring a new face to NRHH and showing them the way of the diamond. This Big/Little Program has allowed active members to bring interested leaders to general body meetings and activities. Shoulder tapping is encouraged and active members have the responsibility to respond to a challenge encouraged by the Executive Board bi-weekly at meetings as Big’s for future Little’s to have when announced at Spring Inductions.
Our first Big/ Little reveal at Spring 2016 Inductions!
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Socials The Director of Membership constitutionally oversees the implementation of retention efforts by planning socials and building community within the Omega Eta Lambda Chapter’s members. Many socials have allowed active as well as potential members to feel welcomed and tight knit especially with consistently focusing on academics and other commitments. The socials continue to relieve stress and give members a break from their fast pace lives to be able to bond with individuals with common interests of wanting to a be a leader on campus. Some examples of socials that NRHH has planned: NRHH Mixer The NRHH’s Executive Board hosted a mixer at Paradise Bakery while serving cookies and allowing potential interests to get food. They had the opportunity to get to know the Executive Board by asking any questions they had about the organization. Pizza in your Pjs Members were given the opportunity to have a movie and game night while comfortably in their pajamas. NRHH also served pizza and had a great time playing twister and Heads Up while watching Hocus Pocus. Hike to “A” Mountain Many of NRHH’s members loved this social. They had the opportunity to be transported to “A” Mountain, a well known Tucson monument that represents the UA, and watch the sun set at the top together an overlooking all of the city of Tucson. Members had a great time getting to know each other on the venture and had a lot of fun.
Cohesion with RHA
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This is the second year that the NRHH President has served on the RHA Executive Board and the first year they had received compensation for the position. This relationship makes the role much more than a liaison and really bridges the gap between the two sister organizations. This allows the NRHH President to advocate for the organization as well as let the RHA General Body know about the opportunities available. It has been a continual struggle to make the distinction between the sister organizations because many see it as a parent and daughter relationship because of the nature our budget it set up. NRHH functions on a $4000 budget solely from RHA’s budget. RHA and NRHH co-program in order to meet the needs of the residents. Some examples of this include hosting workshops during Hall Involvement Team (a volunteer program for to help students move into their residence halls), Hall Leadership Camp, LazerJamz, and REVAMP. NRHH and RHA have also coprogrammed to host the Scholastic Skills series (see page 11). NRHH also received a $500 co-sponsorship approved from the RHA General Body to put on their new campus wide program “Cool for the Summer Kickoff.” It is a finals de-stressing event that highlights the values of service and recognition, as well as that of the UA’s Residence Life department of wellness adding sun safety elements. The “Big 3” plus their ITs selected the delation for NACURH 2016, registering the max of 10 students and now bringing 4 more. Of the 14 students registered, 13 are active members of the Omega Eta Lambda chapter and are able to bring back programs, knowledge, and leadership skills to their communities. Members of both the NRHH and RHA Executive Board are constitutionally required to write 4 OTMs per semester and many of the RHA Executive Board member are active NRHH members. The value of recognizing the fantastic leaders, programs, and professional staff on campus has spread from NRHH over to RHA and has been helpful in reinvigorating
“NRHH is not just about recognition and being impactful leaders that live on campus. They encourage individuals to step out of their comfort zones and to provide a sense of challenge, community, and what it really means to make a difference. This organization inspires me to make the difference I seek and to empower others to do the same.” -Derric Vaughan; Babcock Eco-Rep and RHA Rep
Regional and National Involvement
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Of The Months
Conferences
Committees
Regional Winners March 2016-Passive Program-Recognition Week; December 2015-Student-Elinor Henderson; October 2015 - Advisor - Jessica Mendiola; October 2015 - Educational Program - Dietary Needs; August 2015-Advisor-Nate Miglich; August 2015-Social Program-UA Block Party; August 2015 - Educational Program - Hall Involvement Team; August 2015 - Gabriela Elizondo-Craig; July 2015 - Advisor - Jennifer Shipley; July 2015 - Educational Program Academic Success Program; July 2015 Executive Board Member - Antonio Coronado NACURH Winners March 2016- Advisor-Ashley Kurtz; January 2016-Educational Program-Interview Skills Workshop; September 2015 - First Year Student - Zachary Hugo; September 2015 - Spotlight RHA Month; July 2015 - Community Service Program - UA RHA Eboard Gives Back; July 2015 - Institution Faculty/Staff - Leslie Canales; June 2015 - Institution Faculty/Staff - Andy Aslaksen; May 2015-First Year StudentAntonio Coronado
NACURH 2015 Delegates: Holly Durr (SP14), Gabriela Elizondo-Craig (FA15), Michael Shulby (SP15), Jenn Gray (SP12), Ryan Cafeiro (SP13), Adam Ciampaglio (SP15), Lorene Fisher (SP14), Michael Robles (FA15), Eduardo Granados (FA15), Lauren Gerstung (FA15), Lupe Godoy (FA15) Awards: NCC of the Year - Jenn Gray (past NRHH President); NRHH Diamond Award Ryan Cafeiro IACURH 2015 Omega Eta Lambda took part in bid-writing and editing of the UA School of the Year bid. Delegates: Michael Shulby (SP15), Lorene Fisher (SP14), Hannah Aksamit (SP14), Michael Robles (FA15), Jesse Lafarga (SP15), Caitlin Railson (FA15), Ashlee Fenn (SP15), Alexis Silva (FA15), Keely Chiou (FA15), Alexander Westby (FA15) No Frills 2016 Delegates: Michael Shulby (SP15), Lorene Fisher (SP14), Hannah Aksamit (SP14)
IACURH NRHH Initiatives Committee/Spring Task Force Lorene Fisher (SP14), Jesse Lafarga (SP15), Hannah Aksamit (SP14) IACURH Resources and Development Committee Gabriela Elizondo-Craig (FA15), Adam Ciampaglio (SP15) IACURH OTM Selection Committee Lupe Godoy (FA15), Hannah Aksamit (SP14) NACURH OTM Selection Committee Lorene Fisher (SP14) Swaps Spring Task Force Adam Ciampaglio (SP15) IACURH Strategic Planning Committee Michael Shulby (SP15), Adam Ciampaglio (SP15) IACURH Member Schools Task Force Adam Ciampaglio (SP15) NACURH Assessment Task Force Adam Ciampaglio (SP15) NACURH NRHH Values Task Force Hannah Aksamit (SP14) NACURH NRHH Resources Task Force Hannah Aksamit (SP14)
The Omega Eta Lambda chapter consistently seeks new opportunities to get involved and connected with the IACURH region and NACURH! This year especially, generations of members ranging from Spring 2013-Fall 2015 (SP13-FA15) have taken that extra step to participate in regional and national committees (and other facets) so that they can learn and experience more in their efforts to positively affect and serve the University of Arizona communities. We are proud to say that our chapter’s Regional and National involvement has been steadily improving and growing. By increasing the number of NRHH members who are delegates attending conferences, we have been able to bring back programs and ideas to expand our chapter and our individual communities. By communicating with other schools in the region, new ideas like the Big/Little program have been implemented and are just beginning to blossom.
Establishing an Identity
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UA’s NRHH Chapter has increased its presence on campus through tabling, social media, and campus outreach.
Growth in Social Media Facebook Likes: 173 → 211 = 22% increase
NRHH had never participated in any large-scale club fairs or tabling events prior to this year. However, Omega Eta Lambda Chapter made campus outreach a priority by establishing a presence with students looking to get involved. They now have done this with Recognition week and Cool for the Summer Kickoff.
The chapter had also created a mid-year assessment that was sent out to active members of the organization asked how much they felt valued, what they have most enjoyed, what they are looking forward to, and what new initiatives they would like to see. We wanted to know how our members felt, and what we could do to continue to grow them as leaders and our impact on campus. The topic three were implementing a Big/Little program, serving on a committee, and working to cost a campus-wide program. All of which were executed and in place for years to come.
Omega Eta Lambda also released its first volume of the NRHH NEWSLETTER. This was something that had never been done in the past, and the Executive Board established this as a goal in order to connect with active and potential members, in addition to alumni members who were interested in the current events of the chapter.
Letter of Support
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Letter of Support
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Letter of Support
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Citations
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Blue Chips Photo [Cover Page, pg. 6, 12 & 18]: WallSave (http://www.wallsave.com/wallpaper/1920x1080/pokere-vector-chipsbgpoker-brags-beats-store-variance-119463.html) White Wallpaper [pg. 1, 3, 5, 9, 11,13, 15, 17, 19, & 21]: Deposit Photos (http://depositphotos.com/2557419/stock-illustrationplaying-cards-seamless.html) Red Poker Wallpaper [pg. 2, 8, 14, 20]: Wallpaper Up (http://www.wallpaperup.com/tags/show/poker) Black Background [pg. 4, 7, 10, & 16]: Deviant Art (http://mimiss.deviantart.com/art/poker-55594196)