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.

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 dramatically upgraded the Law School, and established the university's first endowment and a board of lay advisors to oversee it.

During this endeavor, he raised a decent amount of money, but more importantly was crucial in spreading the name and recognition of the university.