The administrative officer stared at the PDFs. She called her supervisor. After twenty minutes, the head of the Doctoral Office came down, read the documents, and said: “He’s right.”

Giulia listened. “Download that regulation as a PDF. Then go to Normattiva —the official Italian legislative database—and find the Legislazione Universitaria framework: Law 240/2010 and Ministerial Decree 226/2021.”

Marco explained: his university claimed that Article 12, paragraph 3 of their internal PhD regulations required physical presence on campus for at least 10 months per year.

. Article 12, paragraph 3 said: “La frequenza è valutata dal Collegio dei Docenti secondo criteri di effettiva partecipazione alle attività formative.” (Attendance is evaluated by the Faculty Board according to criteria of effective participation in training activities.) Nowhere did it say “physical presence on campus.” That was an interpretation the administrative office had invented.

The next morning, he went to the administrative office. He did not raise his voice. He laid three printed PDFs on the counter.

Pdf - Legislazione Universitaria

The administrative officer stared at the PDFs. She called her supervisor. After twenty minutes, the head of the Doctoral Office came down, read the documents, and said: “He’s right.”

Marco explained: his university claimed that Article 12, paragraph 3 of their internal PhD regulations required physical presence on campus for at least 10 months per year. The administrative officer stared at the PDFs

The next morning, he went to the administrative office. He did not raise his voice. He laid three printed PDFs on the counter.