When Ken Rogers was last at Emerson College, the campus looked a lot different. 

Then housed on Beacon Street, on the opposite side of Boston Common, Rogers first arrived at the college in 1987 as a starry-eyed film major, spending most of his time carrying lights and equipment up several floors to the film stock room. 

Now, he returns to his alma mater as the new and inaugural dean for Emerson Los Angeles. Though his return comes after decades, Rogers said there is much of his undergraduate love for Emerson that he is bringing to the role. 

“I really found my people and my voice and the capacity to think differently and laterally [at Emerson],” said Rogers. “Being able to be back and be part of that community again is a really enthralling prospect.”

He added that he still describes himself as a film geek, though he said he won’t reveal what his favorite film is. Despite the differences he sees in the Emerson of his youth to today, Rogers said he is still energized by the same spirit of creativity that defines the institution.

“The school lives on no matter where it is. The school is an idea, it’s not just a place,” said Rogers.

His hiring, which was announced by Emerson President Jay Bernhardt on Wednesday morning, marks the first time a dean has been appointed for the ELA campus. This new administration role comes as a part of the college’s strategic plan, known as Extraordinary Emerson 2030. One of the priorities of the plan is to “enhance Emerson Los Angeles and increase engagement and recruitment,” which includes strengthening and growing “all aspects of its operations and engagement” at ELA.  

The current campus houses up to 200 juniors and seniors who engage in internships in place of a traditional full course load. The program originally opened in 1986 with a campus in Burbank, Calif. It is now housed on its modern Hollywood campus located on Sunset Boulevard, which opened in 2014.

While new to the community, the hiring of a new dean has been a long internal process, according to administrators.

“We were looking for someone who had both academic experience and industry experience, and we were looking for a dynamic and collaborative leader,” said Alexandra Socarides, the provost of the college, in an interview with The Beacon. “We had really high standards for who we were going to put in this position.”

Socarides described how finding Rogers was almost serendipitous, that he not only had all they wanted, but was also an Emerson alum. 

“I’m really happy that we took the time … We had faith that such a person existed. And I just, I feel thrilled that we found [Rogers],” she said.

The creation of a new position comes amid criticisms from the Emerson community over staff layoffs and a lack of pay cuts for the higher administrative positions, as the college grapples with the impacts of enrollment decline. In the past, the college has had a vice president overseeing ELA, and also a chief operating officer or associate vice president leading the program. Both of these positions are currently vacant. 

“Our decision to bring on a new dean in Los Angeles is indicative of our commitment to the ELA program and acknowledges its importance to our students and alumni. While we face inevitable challenges due to outside factors impacting higher education nationally, we are nonetheless moving full steam ahead with our strategic plan, which includes strategic leadership changes,” said college spokesperson Kelly Devers-Franklin, the vice president of marketing and communication at Emerson. 

The college declined to comment on the specific financials or personnel decisions related to the new position. 

Socarides said that Rogers will be both a physical presence, as a welcoming and involved staff member, and a “presence of vision” for the campus and students. This, she said, will specifically be seen in ELA’s priority of being a starting point for careers, as many return to LA after graduation.

Rogers considers ELA’s focus on career development one of his top priorities in the role, saying that he would like to expand beyond just internships. He said this growth is especially important in an ever-changing media industry where learning must be updated to match.

“I’m excited about taking those ideas into the future, taking those kinds of experiences that are part of the core Emerson identity and community … [and] updating them,” Rogers said.

Emerson recently announced the creation of the new School of Film, Television, and Media Arts in a similar recognition of “the need for an ever-evolving curriculum.” The department makes up the largest number of Emerson students, and the majority of students in ELA.

Rogers also wants ELA to become more open to the community and “a hub of cutting-edge conversation,” that can benefit alumni and greater Los Angeles. He sees extracurricular workshops, practicums, symposia, screenings, and master classes as ways to build a creative community that can come together.

“I’d like to activate the space more,” he said. “I want to make sure that we’re out there in the city. I don’t want it just to be a fortress in which we come in and talk amongst ourselves.” 

As Rogers will begin his role on Feb. 1, he said his main hope is that he can give back to the college that jump-started his career.

“[This] was a chance for me to return to Emerson and give back to a school and a community that has given so much to me,” he said.