## 4 Case Study  
This case study examines the process of assigning teaching courses at the University of Basilicata, focusing on the interplay between national legal frameworks and the university's internal regulations. The assignment process is governed primarily by two key regulations stemming from Law 240/2010:  
The Regulation for Defining Criteria and Procedures for Assigning Teaching Duties, Additional Teaching Assignments, and Additional Remuneration to Permanent Researchers (Article 6, Law 240/2010): This regulation establishes the fundamental principles and mechanisms for distributing teaching responsibilities and associated compensation among permanent faculty and researchers. It outlines criteria like teaching load limits, eligibility for additional assignments, and the process for determining appropriate remuneration. The Regulation for the Discipline of Teaching Contracts in Study Programs (Article 23, Law 240/2010): This regulation governs the use of external teaching contracts, specifying the conditions under which they are permissible, the qualifications required of external instructors, and the procedures for awarding these contracts. The university employs a tiered approach to fulfil its teaching needs, prioritizing internal resources before resorting to external contracts. This approach involves the following. Teaching Assignments (Internal): These assignments represent the core teaching responsibilities of faculty and researchers. They are categorized based on compensation. * Unpaid Assignments: These are typically assigned to Full Professors (I Fascia), Associate Professors (II Fascia), and Fixed-Term Researchers as part of their standard academic duties. The assumption here is that teaching is a core component of their roles and is compensated through their regular salary. * Paid Assignments: These are additional teaching responsibilities beyond the standard workload. They are offered to the following staff:
* Full Professors (I Fascia), Associate Professors (II Fascia), and Fixed-Term Researchers (Types A and B) who have exceeded their required teaching hours as defined by the aforementioned regulation. This incentivizes faculty to take on additional teaching responsibilities when needed. * Permanent Researchers, recognizing their potential contributions to teaching and providing them with opportunities for professional development. Teaching Contracts (External): When internal resources are insufficient to meet teaching demands, the university may employ external teaching contracts. These contracts are also categorized. * Direct Awards: These contracts are awarded directly (without a competitive process) in specific circumstances. This might include supplementary activities within the framework of established agreements with public institutions or research entities. This streamlined approach is likely used for specialized teaching needs or when collaborating with partner organizations. * Paid Contracts (via Comparative Evaluation): These contracts are awarded to individuals with suitable scientific and professional qualifications (pursuant to Article 23, paragraph 2, of Law 240/2010) following a comparative evaluation process. This process ensures transparency and meritocracy in selecting external instructors. It likely involves evaluating candidates based on their qualifications, teaching experience, and proposed course content. This process ensures that teaching needs are met while adhering to legal and regulatory requirements and prioritizing internal resources before external contracting. The University of Basilicata employs a structured, multi-tiered approach to assigning teaching duties, prioritizing internal resources before considering external contracts. This hierarchical process, designed to maximize efficiency and comply with legal and regulatory requirements, involves the following key steps. Strategic Planning and Needs Assessment: Before initiating the assignment process, the university conducts a thorough needs assessment. This involves the following steps.