The School of Arts and Sciences was one of the first schools created on 11 February 1992 by then Don Severino Agricultural College (DSAC). It was headed by Dr. Lorna L. Penales who also managed three departments under its wing, namely: the Department of Languages and Humanities, the Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Physical Sciences, each of which was chaired by Ms. Nelia Espejo, Dr. Josefina Rint and Prof. Trinidad Ocampo, respectively.
During the time of its conception, the School had no curricular program of its own; yet, it catered to the basic education courses of the various undegraduate programs of the university by offering major courses in Mathematics, Chemistry, Crop Protection, Biology and Science as well as basic courses in Math, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics, Languages, Humanities, Social Sciences and Biological Sciences.
Considering its program offerings, the School started to offer Bachelor of Science in Biology (BS Bio) during the first semester of SY 1994-1995. The following year, two new programs were offered: Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics (BSAM) and Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (BS Chem). A year after, Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication (BAMC) was approved and offered to students.
Back in 1998, by virtue of the Republic Act No.8468, Don Severino Agricultural College, a premier college not only in the region but in whole country as well, was converted into a state university to be known as CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY. It follows then, that the four schools under it, including the School of Arts and Sciences, were elevated into colleges, hence became the COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES.
The first dean of the college was Dr. Lutgarda P. Ilagan who was directly under the supervision of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. She focused mainly on the College’s commitment to the students. Through the concerted efforts of the faculty members and staff of the college along with the support of the Administration, the College was able to revise and update the existing curricula of the BS Applied Mathematics program, as well as pass the Accreditation Preliminary Survey of the AACCUP for the BS Bio, BSAM and the BS Chem in 2000.
By 2001, Dr. Divinia C. Chavez took over the deanship of the College. She was primarily with concerned with on the College’s goal of providing relevant and quality instruction, responsive research and extension services in the arts and sciences toward the development of globally competitive and morally upright individuals and prepare students for careers in different fields. A year after she assumed position, two new programs were offered: the BS Nursing and the BS Psychology. Level 2 accreditation status for both BSAM and BS Chem curricula was also attained. Quite a number of equipment and instruction devices were procured including two sets of Soxhlet heating mantle apparatus, uv-vis spectrophotometer to name a few. Chemical rooms, display cabinets, laboratory tables and rooms were likewise acquired. In 2004, Bachelor of Arts in English and the only graduate program of the College, Master of Science in Biology, were offered.
In 2007, Dr. Cecilia B. Banaag became the dean of the College. During her deanship, AB Political Science was offered.
By the year 2008, Dr. Evelyn O. Singson was appointed as the college’s dean. In 2011, the college started to offer BS Social Work under the Department of Social Sciences and Humanities. To continuously provide the students with quality education, the University approved the revision of the BAMC curriculum and it was renamed Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in 2012.
In January 2014, Dr. Lynn G. Penales was designated as the dean of the college. Through her leadership, the College of Arts and Sciences continued to offer services aimed at producing holistic learners from different fields. She also led the college in the conduct of various extension and research activities.
Dr. Bettina Joyce P. Ilagan, faculty of the Department of Languages and Mass Communication, has been designated as the college’s dean since November 2016. Her leadership gears towards producing faculty, staff, and students who are Carriers of Truth, Advocates of Excellence, and Stewards of Service. To live as one TRUE CAS family (to produce people who Train: Instruction; Research: Research and Development; Utilize: Management and Generation of Resources; and Extend: Community and Extension Services) is her vision for the college.
At present, the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACCUP) recognizes various levels of accreditation for the academic programs of the College. BA Journalism (formerly BA Mass Communication) has been awarded the Level III (Phase I) status. Likewise, BS Applied Mathematics with specialization in Statistics and BS Biology both qualified for Level III – Re-accredited status. BS Psychology program is awarded Level 2 Re-accredited status. BA English, BA Political Science, and MS Biology programs have been awarded Level I Accredited status. After its first preliminary visit, BS Social Work qualified for Candidate status.
With the finest headship of its present dean, the College also supports its faculty members through assistance in local, national, and international seminar-workshops, trainings, and research projects. Faculty members have conducted researches along various concerns that are relevant to their fields of specialization. These researches enrich the classroom instruction and extension activities of the College.
The College has also started working on its BEE Program headed by the Biological Sciences Department. Seminars and trainings have been conducted and faculty and students from different departments have been tapped to produce multidisciplinary researches.
Efforts have also been intensified with the participation of more stakeholders along Community Adoption Services: Kabarangay at Kaeskwela (CAS:KK). In its bid to stay true to its mission, it has remained grounded on the University’s tenets: truth, excellence and service. CAS:KK is the umbrella extension program of the College which started in 2011. The College also endorsed “CAS:KK for IHGPV” along with three other partners: Kiwanis Club Treasures of Indang, iHOME-Indang, and Daine Western Cavite Institute. It also launched its newsletter “Magdyaryo Tayo!” in the said barangay. Livelihood projects conducted in Mendez, Cavite have also been given emphasis by the CAS extentionists.
Community Adoption Services: Health, Education, and Livelihood Programs or CAS HELPs is the current extension framework and agenda of the College.
As of August 1, 2017, CAS is composed of 140 faculty members; 54 of them have permanent status, 7 are enjoying temporary status, 2 are working on contractual basis, and 77 are teaching under job-order basis. There are also nine staff working in different units/departments. In terms of academic rank, the college has one university professor, two professors, 18 associate professors, 13 assistant professors, and 106 instructors. The College also has nine administrative support staff.
To be more equipped in their profession, many of its faculty members have started pursuing their graduate studies. Some of them have already enjoyed scholarship grants given by the Commission on Higher Education to complete their respective degrees.
Mission and Goals
The College Mission
The College of Arts and Sciences shall provide relevant and quality instruction, responsive research, and extension services toward the development of globally, competitive and morally upright individuals. It shall prepare students for careers in different fields.
The College Goals
The College of Arts and Sciences aims to:
- develop competent, critically-minded and morally-disciplined students and graduates who can meet the demands and challenges of the national and global markets;
- conduct researches that contribute to the theory and practice in the arts and sciences and relevant to the institutional, regional and national thrusts and ably conform with the national and global standards;
- extend direct and indirect services to target clientele and be a partner of government and non-government entities in community development; and
- develop partnership nationally and internationally with government and non-government agencies to improve and/or enhance the college’s existing resources and services.
Courses Offered
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGY
Program Description
The Biological Science Program for BS Biology students is designed for equipping graduates with skills and knowledge in human resources that will enhance the progress of this agriculturally-based country depending on their specialization. In the said program, the course curriculum is systematically given from first year to fourth year, assuring that BS Biology students will be given all necessary subjects to be used once they are in the field. There are lots of private and government owned and controlled corporations and research institutions which can readily make use of their knowledge in their chosen career. An increasing number of industries are now becoming allied to biological sciences especially to the pharmaceutical food and scientific supply manufacturing.
Objectives
The program aims to:
- equip students with basic foundation in biological sciences which will enable them to fully understand allied science;
- train students on scientific methods of acquiring knowledge essential in the society;
- arm the students with the skills necessary to provide extension services to various clientele; and
- prepare them in conducting basic and applied researches relevant to college thrust
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN JOURNALISM
Program Description and Objectives
This program aims to produce graduate students equipped with knowledge and skills, attitude and values, ethics and competence that professionals need, as well as the capacity to anticipate and respond to the need of rapidly developing media.
In addition, graduates of this program may pursue the following career paths but not limited to broadcast journalists, corporate communicators, editors, media relations specialists, media researchers, news analysts, news organization representatives, public broadcasting agents, public relations practitioners, photo journalists, proof readers, program directors, reporters, website developers and writers.
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH
Program Description
Bachelor of Arts in English provides a comprehensive program of reading, writing, and critical thinking. Students read, discuss, analyze, and write about challenging works of recognized literary merit to develop honest, concise, and effective use of language and the ability to organize ideas in a clear, coherent, and persuasive way. Independent literary analysis and a total mastery of writing skills are goals of the course.
Objectives
The program aims to:
- train students and develop them to become competent and well-equipped English language teachers and trainers; and
- prepare students for English language oriented career in the industry, business, and academe.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PSYCHOLOGY
Program Description
This program is designed to provide students with knowledge-based methods, content areas and essential theories in the field of psychology. It seeks to facilitate the development of intellectual skills and characteristics that enhance the students’ lifelong personal and career success. The program begins with General Psychology course and includes courses in quantitative methods and experimental designs. Additional course work is selected from a broad range of available courses. Students are encouraged to pursue breath across the areas of Psychology particularly when planning for advanced study in Psychology. The department does, however, identify sets of courses particularly relevant for students interested in clinical, school, or industrial/ organizational psychology.
Objectives
The program aims to:
- train students in psychological assessment of human behavior by proper administration, scoring and interpretation of psychometric instruments;
- prepare students for the professional-global competitiveness in the field of education, industrial and clinical setting;
- equip students with exposure and hand-on training through extension service in the community; and
- develop students’ skills and potentials.
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
Program Description
Political Science, as a discipline, delves into multifarious and intricate activities of man as well as political, economic, social and cultural processes. Students are trained for careers in politics, law, teaching, civil service, and foreign service. Furthermore, students are equipped with knowledge and skills in discharging their rights and obligations as members of a democratic community, to prepare them to be vigilant, dynamic, and civic-spirited citizens.
Objectives
The program aims to:
- train students in the conduct of social science research specifically political science;
- prepare students for careers in law, foreign service, business, education, and civil service; and
- develop students’ skills and potentials.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN SOCIAL WORK
Program Description
The curriculum of the program is geared towards developing competent social workers equipped with desirable social, cultural and moral values. Its aim is to produce globally competitive social workers needed to promote social growth and people empowerment through various social and community activities.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of the program, its graduates are expected to:
- be equipped with knowledge and skills necessary for beginning professional generalist practice with individuals, families, groups and communities;
- promote social growth and people empowerment through various social and community activities;
- be globally competitive and morally upright individuals responsive to the needs and demands of the society; and
- pass the licensure examination for social workers.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS (Major in Statistics)
Program Description
The BS Applied Mathematics major in Statistics is offered by the College of Arts and Sciences through the Department of Physical Sciences. It is enhanced with Certificate in Information System Management and can be taken as a regular four-year course offering and an inter-modal three-year course program.
It has a balance between a holistic general education program and a substantial mathematics curriculum. The curriculum for the undergraduate mathematics program has a total of 63 units of general education courses and 78 units of mathematics and statistics courses.
Objectives
The program aims to:
- train students and develop them to become competent and well-equipped instructors to teach mathematics in college; and
- prepare students for mathematics oriented career in industry, business and public administration.
