Universities are increasingly expensive to operate. The executives who manage school endowments, which help pay for most of those costs, experience the same challenges as other institutional investors. Managers in charge of assets totaling more than $174.4 billion spoke with Bloomberg Markets about lessons learned from the financial crisis and their long-term view on investing. John AlexanderChief investment officer, Clemson University Foundation, with $700 million in assets under management “Patience is very important. In today’s society we aren’t patient, possibly due to our technologically advanced environment.