Summary - This article examines the legislation, emanating mostly from the Ministero della Funzione Pubblica, which concerns Universities, among many other objects of the planned reform of public administration. It considers the interventions regarding the organization of the CUN, the agency for consultation, proposals and discipline in universities, which has undergone a reform of its composition, responsibilities and functions. The article also examines the interventions regarding freedom of teaching, on which there have been few substantial interventions, except concerning the issue of competence, which has been assigned to the Minister for Universities, on the advice of the CUN and the competent parliamentary commissions. Finally, the article considers the interventions regarding functional organization, which have to do with the division of responsibilities between government and bureaucratic organs, with the role and the methods of appointment of administrative directors, with the responsibilities of technical and administrative personel, and with the status of teaching staff. An overall picture emerges of piecemeal reform through legislation that is rather careless technically and rather ambivalent in terms of content.