College Profile
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 undergraduate 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 later, 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 the 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. Thus, 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 BS Chem in 2000.
By 2001, Dr. Divinia C. Chavez took over the deanship of the College. She was primarily concerned with 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 preparing students for careers in different fields. A year after she assumed the 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 and 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 renamed it as 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, was the college’s dean from 2016 to 2023. Her leadership geared 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) was her vision for the college.
Then from 2024 to early months of 2025, Dr. Armi Grace B. Desingaño took the helm of the college and was able to lead it with a sense of belongingness and oneness despite the diverse composition of its faculty members, nonacademic staff, and students.
With the headship of its present dean, Dr. Ammie P. Ferrer sets the sails of the College to help its growing community navigate the changing education landscape characterized by technological advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital learning platforms, as well as form academe-industry linkages that will strengthen the knowledge and competencies of its students.
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 and Bachelor of Science in Biology have been awarded the Level IV Re-accredited status. BS Social Work qualified for Level II Re-accredited status. More so, BS Applied Mathematics, BA English Language Studies, BA Political Science, and BS Psychology all qualified for Level III Re-accredited status. BA Communication and BS Development Communication were awarded with certificates of authority to operate.
The Comprehensive Agenda for Research and Extension Sustainability (2023–2027) or CAS CARES 5.0 is the current research and extension agenda of the College. CAS CARES 5.0 has five banner programs that are aligned with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These programs are named SYMBIO-Cs: Harmonizing Biology Research and Extension for Community Transformation (Department of Biological Sciences), Developing Communities Through Media Mentorship (Department of Communication), Designing Holistic Extension Initiatives Through Utilization of Meaningful Research Outputs (Department of Humanities), Developing a Progressive Society Through Mathematics and Allied Sciences (Department of Physical Sciences), and Social Organization through Comprehensive Services and Community Intervention (Department of Social Sciences).
As of December 2024, CAS is composed of 229 faculty members; 58 of them have permanent status, 4 are enjoying temporary status, 4 are working on contractual basis, and 163 are teaching under contract of service. There are also nine staff working in different units/departments. In terms of academic rank, the college has three professors, 32 associate professors, 22 assistant professors, and 172 instructors. The College also has 14 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.
This page was last edited on 20 August 2025.