Less than a month after officially starting his job as chancellor of Colorado State University, Joe Blake joined university President Tony Frank on a road trip to tell businesses that cash-strapped universities, including CSU, need help building their finances (via The Denver Post [2]). But Blake himself (pictured) has cost CSU $19,000, thanks to the secretive meeting [3] that led to his appointment in the newly created chancellor position. CSU's Board of Governors agreed yesterday to cover the legal costs of the three media organizations that filed a lawsuit over the board's conduct: the Fort Collins Coloradoan [4], The Pueblo Chieftain [5], and The Colorado Independent [6]. In settling the suit, however, the university has not admitted to breaking any laws. Nonetheless, Coloradoan editor Bob Moore is claiming victory: "This settlement, and the increased transparency that we've begun to see at CSU, are positive signs that the culture is changing." The university also agreed to release portions of a recording of the May 5 meeting, and details are highlighted in this morning's Coloradoan [7]. Among them is an accusation by Doug Jones, the former Board of Governors chairman, that state lawmakers were "un-Christian" for pursuing a bill that would require more public input in the chancellor selection process.