Welcome to the NRS family! We at the NRS Systemwide Office (the UC headquarters of the NRS) look forward to meeting you. In the meantime, we want to connect you with information that will make your life at the NRS easier. Located on our website, these links provide a wealth of information about our network. Topics include NRS policies, programs, services our office provides, guidance on governance and reserve management, and more.
Download a pdf of the NRS Onboarding Information
NRS Website
Please take time to explore the NRS website. It not only provides visitors with an overview of our network, but also lets people apply to visit a reserve, apply to systemwide programs such as research grants and fellowships, provides a conduit to data storage systems such as the NRS bibliography and meta data repositories, and delivers news, videos, and a myriad of other information about the NRS. You will find the For Staff section particularly helpful; to get there, scroll to the bottom of the homepage and click Resources, or go to https://ucnrs.org/for-staff/. Many of the resources in the For Staff section are reviewed below.
NRS Administrative Handbook
The NRS Administrative Handbook provides policy guidance to NRS staff and faculty. It includes a description of the organization’s structure, how it is governed, the types of programs that are supported, reporting requirements from reserves, and similar topics. Familiarizing yourself with the handbook is an excellent way to understand how the NRS works as a system.
Reserve Application Management System (RAMS)
RAMS is the online system the NRS uses to collect information about reserve use. It enables users to apply for permission to visit a reserve. Users can also use make a reservation to use a reserve: to specify dates and times they want to visit, and indicate any facilities they want to use. NRS staff use RAMS to manage applications and reservations, communicate with users, and track reserve use. Information from RAMS is used to generate reports and charts demonstrating demand for the NRS among students, researchers, and others.
Public outreach toolkit
The public outreach toolkit contains links to promotional information about the NRS. These include map graphics, brochure designs, logos, pop-up banners, flyers, and even a PowerPoint deck with photos that may be used with attribution.
President’s Universitywide NRS Advisory Committee
Commonly referred to as the “Uwide Committee,” the President’s Universitywide NRS Advisory Committee governs the NRS on behalf of the UC President. The committee meets twice a year, usually at the UC Office of the President in Oakland. Representatives include faculty from each general campus, reserve managers, and stewards.
Management Workshop
The far-flung NRS family gathers once a year at the Management Workshop. This multi-day event is an opportunity for NRS staff to gain training and knowledge about current issues involving reserve management, and to put names to faces in the NRS organization. Hosted by a different reserve every year, the workshop is made possible by funding from the NRS Systemwide Office.
NRS email lists
Need to reach an entire category of people within the NRS? Use the NRS email lists, which will enable you to reach all faculty managers, or each of the Systemwide Office staff, or every campus administrator, etc. in one fell swoop.
NRS directory
The NRS directory contains searchable contact information for NRS staff at every campus. We use directory entries to add email addresses to the NRS email lists (see above). You can add your own information to the directory or ask the Systemwide Office to do so. Please remind all new hires to add their information to the directory as well.
Strategic plan
A strategic plan was developed to guide the efforts of NRS from 2015–2025. The NRS Executive Director provides periodic reports on strategic plan progress to the Universitywide NRS Advisory Committee.
Newsletter
Please take a moment to sign up to receive the NRS Newsletter. This monthly e-newsletter features a roundup of news from around the NRS. If you have ideas for stories, or want to publicize lecture dates or open houses, please send your listings to the Principal Publications Coordinator at the NRS Systemwide Office.
Use data
These interactive online visualizations transform use data for the reserve system gathered by RAMS into a graphic format. Great for demonstrating how reserves from each campus or the NRS as a whole contribute to UC and California.