HISTORY

The College is essentially a service college for Benguet State University students. It caters to all BSU students as it offers General Education subjects including math, natural sciences, languages, information technology, and social sciences. Currently, it offers three (3) degree programs in the undergraduate level, and eleven (11) programs in the graduate level. It is the biggest college in terms of number of faculty members, this semester (1^st Semester 2014-2015) having a total of One hundred and three (103). Its main office is the CAS Main building close to the University’s Administration Building. It houses the Dean’s Office, Biology Department, Computer Laboratory, College Research and Extension Offices, and the CAS Little Theatre. The other parts of the college are spatially dispersed, with the Humanities Department being the farthest. It makes use of the third floor of the Engineering Building near the gymnasiums. Three departments are found in the old College Building, now CAS Annex Building. The departments of Information Technology, Math-Physics-Statistics, and Social Sciences are located here. The department of Chemistry is housed in the Soils Science Building behind the CAS Annex Building.

The college began as an Institute in 1983 when Benguet State University was still the Mountain State Agricultural College (MSAC). Although a distinct institute, its composition was broad to include the Science High School and Physical Education and Athletics. Six months after (May, 1984), the institute was reorganized to focus on general education courses. Under Administrative Order No. 17 of 1984, College of Arts and Sciences was created for that purpose and was trimmed down to five (5) departments: Department of Biology; Department of Chemistry; Department of Humanities (formerly Languages); Department of Math-Physics-Statistics; and Department of Social Sciences. This became the core of the College, although it had to accommodate the Department of Nursing during its beginning in 1990 until 1993. The Information Technology Department emerged as part of the Math-Physics-Statistics Department in 1999 before it became an independent department in 2013.

The college is now headed by Dr. Stanley F. Anongos, Jr. as College Dean. From its inception, it had been under eight (8) different deans: Dr. Esther R. Hufana (November 15, 1983- July 3, 1988; July 16, 1990-August 31, 1993); Dr. Rodolfo T. Abastilla (October 16, 1993- October 2, 1994); Dr. Marcos A. Buliyat ( July 4, 1988- July 15, 1990; October 3, 1994- July 4, 1996); Dr. Rosendo A. Gualdo ( July 5, 1996- May 31, 1999); Dr. Edna A. Chua( September 1- October 15, 1993; August 14- November 14, 1992-OIC; July 1, 1999- May 31, 2003), Dr. Joel V. Lubrica ( June 1, 2003- June 30, 2005); Prof. Marilyn B. Toledo ( July 1, 2005- July 30, 2007); Dr. Aurea Marie M. Sandoval (August 2007-June 2014); Dr. Leonardo L. Samonte (May 31, 2014 - june 8, 2014 - OIC; June 9, 2014 - July 31, 2016); Dr. Samuel S. Poliden (August 1, 2016 - December 31, 2020).