Rev. Burns was Notre Dame's greatest theorist of education, and was pivotal in moving the University towards its academic and scholastic prominence. Immediately after Burns became president, he divided the University into four distinct colleges: Arts and Letters, Science, Engineering, and Law. In 1919 he eliminated the prep school to make more room on campus for college students. Focusing on academic matters, added no new buildings to the campus during his tenure, but in his final year set the foundations for a large expansion of the University. He began a campaign to raise $750,000, which, if raised secured $250,000 from the Rockefeller Foundation and $75,000 from the Carnegie foundation. He dramatically upgraded the Law School, and established the University's first endowment and a board of lay advisors to oversee it. In 1922 Burns decided not to serve another term and to devote his time to fund- raising activities. During this endeavor, he raised a decent amount of money, but more importantly was crucial in spreading the name and recognition of the University.
