Making Your Life Easier with URS
URL: http://urs.oardc.ohio-state.edu/
[1] THE LITTLE THINGS:
a. Make sure that you check the Status Window each time that you click on SAVE.
b. URS works the best in Internet Explorer (IE) version 5.0-6.0 or newer or Netscape (NS) version 6.0-7.0 or newer; URS is built with a Microsoft product, so it works the best with other Microsoft products. URS also works well in Firefox.
c. Remembering password: URS now uses your OSU Internet ID (last name.#) and password. You should contact the OSU Office of Information Technology at (614) 688-HELP (4357) for password help now and in the future.
d. CACHE setting correct: In IE, click on TOOLS, INTERNET OPTIONS, Temporary Internet Files – SETTINGS, Check for newer versions of stored pages: “Every visit to the page”. In NS, select EDIT on the Main Menu, then PREFERENCES; Click the down triangle in front of Advanced; Select CACHE. Click on “Every time I view the page”. Click OK to close.
e. Opening two of your reports at the same time: By opening your browser twice, once with one URS year report, and the next time with another year’s report, one can toggle back and forth between report years. Make sure you are editing the appropriate year’s report!
f. Copying and pasting into a word processing program: Use your word processor to create narratives, and copy and paste into the appropriate fields. This will also help in regards to SPELL CHECK. URS has no spell checker.
g. Dollar signs, etc. - Never use dollar signs, commas, or decimal points when entering numbers. Numeric fields are designed for integers only; Likewise, do not include alphabet characters in numeric fields.
h. URS does NOT do math. When updating direct contact fields or other numbers in URS, you must do the addition/subtraction yourself.
i. Turn off your pop-up blocker, if you have one, URS uses pop-up windows.
[2] TEAM REPORTING
a. Communicate with your team!! Who will enter first; who will do final check of content? If one person is on many teams (Extension Programs; Grants; and/or Academic Activity), s/he may not want to be the lead reporter for every team
b. The TEAM MEMBER function was designed for close working groups of about 6 people or less. All changes made in the PROGRAM window of a listed program will change for all identified team members.
c. Selecting a STATEWIDE TEAM will NOT make the POA appear on all team members’ reports (see #7).
[3] DELETING A PERSON and/or A PROGRAM:
a. Only the person who originally entered the program is allowed to delete the entire program. If you delete a program, the information for all educators and all locations will be deleted.
b. If the Trash Can has a red circle with a line through it, then someone else created the program and you cannot delete the program.
c. The person who created the program cannot delete himself/ herself from the program (otherwise there is no one who can delete the program later).
d. If you are listed on a program that someone else created, you should talk to them about the duplicate program entries.
e. You can remove yourself from the program by deleting yourself (the Trash Can is visible by your name after you click the TEAM MEMBER button). Doing this will remove any data that you entered, while keeping the data for the other Team Member(s).
[4] ENTER ONLY OUTCOMES IN OUTCOME DATA ENTRY BOX (See Logic Model)
a. First preference is to enter documented Program Outcome information and data
b. Second preference is to enter your detailed plans for collecting Program Outcome data
c. Third preference is to LEAVE BLANK!! DO NOT enter Program Output data here
[5] COPYING REPORTS FORWARD
a. “Completed” reports are the best to copy forward
b. Copying forward is not the best option for those personnel who initiate a majority of new programming each year
[6] ONCE REPORTS HAVE BEEN CREATED, THEY CANNOT BE DELETED OR RE-LABELED WITH A DIFFERENT YEAR: The only options are to create reports carefully, make sure that you are reporting in the correct year, and cut from the incorrect year and paste to fix in the correct year. If you copy forward a report with major errors; you will have to edit it.
[7] STATE-WIDE TEAMS (formerly known as “SHARED KEYS”) are visible to all URS users and are aimed at identifying those activities, in teaching, extension, and research that are part of a recognized team. These teams are normally focused on a single crop, commodity or concept. An activity may have more than one State-wide Team selected, or none. Selecting a State-wide Team does not make the program entered appear on others’ reports.
[8] PRIVATE KEYS are specific to the individual URS user, and are not visible to others. They are designed to provide an easy way to organize your activities in any manner that makes sense to you. Examples of private keys are crops or species names, the grant or other funding used, a graduate student’s activities, or a country. An activity may have more than one Private key, or none.
[9] MULTI-STATE PROGRAMS; INTEGRATED RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PROGRAMS: Place this information in the Partnerships or Collaboration field under the Extension Programs Component. Select all partnerships that apply. Describe the partnership and the role each partner plays in program development, delivery and evaluation. Include in the description both funding and non-funding roles.
Definitions: Multi-state means collaborative efforts that reflect the programs of institutions located in at least two or more States or territories; Integrated activities means jointly planned, funded, and interwoven activities between research (OARDC) and extension to solve problems. This includes the generation of knowledge and the transfer of information and technology.
[10] HELP – Every screen has a HELP button; Every HELP screen has a HELP INDEX button; FEEDBACK button sends an immediate e-mail to Chip Styer (Styer.21@osu.edu), Tom Archer (Archer.3@osu.edu), and Debby Lewis (Lewis.205@osu.edu)
Also, think about:
Improving Your Reporting HABITS and ATTITUDE.
J
Tom Archer and Debby Lewis
Program Development and Evaluation, Ohio State University Extension
September 12, 2007