By mandate of DECS Order No. 15, series of 1971, authorizing the operation of government-supported community colleges in the country, the Provincial Board of Kalinga-Apayao led by Gov. Rolando T. Puzon passed Resolution No. 97, series of 1974, establishing the Kalinga Community College of Trade and Industries KCCTI which offered purely vocational courses in poultry, piggery, garments, trades and native loom weaving, was then inaugurated with Mr. Augusto Alejandrino as the first Administrator.
Subsequently, the Municipal Council of Tabuk passed Resolution No. 8 authorizing KCCTI to use the Municipal Plaza Reservation, Lot No. 1416 for the putting up of its physical plant with authority to remain in force as long as the college exists.
After securing a government permit, the school opened a two-year Midwifery course. Fortunately, from its first graduates of Midwives, 30 took the Board Examination of which 100% percent passed. In 1978, the College Administrator successfully worked out the offering of Liberal Arts, Commerce, Education, and Secretarial Courses. Because of this significant development, the Provincial Governor, Hon. Amado B. Almazan, suggested a change of the name of the college from Kalinga Community College of Trades and Industries to Kalinga Community College.
On January 26, 1986, the Kalinga-Apayao State College was created under P.D. 2017 mandating the merging of the Kalinga Community College, the Doňa Eufronia Molina Puzon Memorial High School and the Tabuk National High school, the BIBAK NAS Nevertheless due to some technicalities, it was only made operational on October 7, 1992.
That time the Board of Trustees had its first organizational meeting held at the Office of the Undersecretary of the DECS. University of Life Complex Pasig, Metro Manila.
The meeting was presided over by Hon. Luis Baltazar DECS Undersecretary and was attended by Hon. Joseph Alabanza, NEDA-CAR Regional Director, and Stephen N. Capuyan, DECS-CAR Regional Director. Mr. Norfredo M. Dulay was designated as the first Board Secretary.
Consequently, the tertiary program of the BIBAK National Agricultural School was integrated with the State College under Memorandum of Agreement entered into and between the Officer-in-charge of the Kalinga-Apayao State College. Mr. Augusto S. Alejandrino, and the Regional Director of the DECS in January 1993.
On July 7, 1993, the President of the Republic of the Philippines, His Excellency Fidel V. Ramos appointed Dr. Francisco M. Basuel as the first president of the Kalinga-Apayao State College. He assumed office on August 2, 1993.
Within the term of Dr. Basuel, from 1993 to 1997, the state college had undertaken certain significant developments. The additional undergraduate programs were B.S. in Agriculture, B.S. in Agricultural Engineering, B.S. in Forestry, B.S. in Environmental Studies, B.S. in Development Education, B.S. in Entrepreneurship, and Forest Ranger Certificate. Other short-term vocational courses and training programs were offered aside from the existing academic programs. The graduate school of the KASC has also approved offering graduate degree programs such as Master of Arts in Teaching (English), Master of Arts in Public Administration, Master of Science in Rural Development, Doctor of Philosophy in Development Education, and Doctor of Philosophy in Community Development.
The needed infrastructure projects were also computed with budget of P18.9 million. KASC also acquired for free, 44 hectares of the provincial government reservation where the main campus is now situated.
Other land acquisitions for educational needs of KASC were the 400 hectares of land located at Rizal, Kalinga from the DENR for purposes of research, extension, and production projects.
Linkages with a good number of regional and national government agencies were established to provide financial assistance and technical support to the State College.
Moreover, KASC as a member-institution of the PASUC-CAR assumed its development role in CAR with Watershed Development as its Center for Excellence. In order to enhance its instructional capability, the State College implemented a Faculty and Staff Development Program to upgrade the quality of instruction and educational qualification of each academic personnel.
A good number of deserving faculty members were sent for study leave and have completed their graduate courses. Dr. Basuel’s term ended in 1997.
On November 2, 1997, Dr. Venus I. Lammawin was elected by the Board of Trustees as the second president of the Kalinga-Apayao State College. Under Dr. Venus I. Lammawin, the infrastructure projects, which were started by her predecessor, were completed. The Academic Laboratory Buildings, Administrative Building and Library Building, road networks were completed in due time. Personnel and Staff Development became more extensive sending faculty and staff for graduate studies on Saturdays and Sundays aside from those who were given full-time study leave. Enrollment undertook steep increase requiring additional faculty members. There was an increase in Library holdings. Under the leadership of Dr. Lammawin, the College facilities were upgraded ensuring quality services to its clientele. One frontline service was established which is the computerization of the Registrar’s Office. Cashiering and payroll sections. Graduating students were also given the chance to avail of the CHED-funded Student’s Loan Program.
Some of the outstanding achievements of the State College during the term of Dr. Lammawin include the following: titling of the KASC Bulanao Campus: raising of the status from SUC Level I to Level II of the State College: outstanding performance of Physical and Financial aspects as evaluated by DBM-CAR: achievement of a good rating by the Graduate School and the BSEng course as evaluated by the CHED –CAR Regional Quality, Assessment team.
On research, KASC was able to garner national awards from DOST and Civil Service Lingkod Bayan Award through the researches of Engr. Danilo C. Falgui. The Farmers Information Technology Services was also rated outstanding the evaluators of PCARD and HARDEC. The CHED granted P700,000 to establish the Geophysical Information Service Center and JICA also funded the community –based reforestation programs pursued by the school.
Dr. Lammawin ended her term as President of Kalinga-Apayao State College when she was appointed as President of Camiguin Polytechnic College on October 22, 2006.
The KASC Board of Trustees through its Chairman, Commissioner Saturnino M. Ocampo, Jr. appointed Dr. Serafin L. Ngohayon, ISCAF President as, Officer-in-charge of the Office of the President of KASC commencing November 7, 2006. this designation lasted until March 9, 2006.
There are several milestone that Dr. Ngohayon’s leadership attained during his term, such as, he facilitated the Preliminary Survey of the AACUP on the Teacher Education Programs of KASC in February 2006, the result of which was the candidate status of the BSED and BEED programs; initiated and worked out the textbook grant from CHED from the Knowledge-based Textbook Development project in the amount of P500,000 acquisition of encyclopedia and dictionaries from International Science Foundation; recommended to the Center for Governance of the Development to serve as their facilitators and documenters f\or a research study on education that DAP will conduct in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Dr. Eduardo T. Bagtang assumed office on March 10, 2006 just after his appointment as the third President of the Kalinga-Apayao State College on March 9, 2006. In his term of office, vital committees were formed in compliance toCivil Service mandate and College's Vision, mission, Goals and Objectives, its Organizational Structure and Strategic Plan were reviewed and refined to cater to the present and future needs of the Collge and elevated the SUC Level II status of KASC to SUC Level III-A.
The Civil Service Commission Central Office through its Resolution No. 070469 accorded Accreditation to Kalinga-Apayao State College in March 12, 2007. This is the result of the evaluation conducted by the CSC-CAR on October 2006. Said Accreditation program is given to the administration of the State College through its President, the authority to take final action on appointments.
In his initiative, Research and Extension Projects were pursued and initiated program complementation with other line agencies. Linkage were pursued and initiated program complementation with other line agencies. Linkage with government agencies were also strengthened with eventually plough in grants for the development pursuits of the State Colleges are CHED, DS, DOST, TESDA, ASCU-SN, Office of the Congressman, and various Local Government Units.
The State college also pursued relentlessly infrastructure development efforts through the use of Income Fund and other funds through the initiative of the congressmen; Hon. Laurence B. Wacnang and Hon. Manuel S. Agyao. The institution was able to improve its school's facilities by completing series of constructions such as BSHRM Hostel, College of Law and Graduate Studies Building, College of Engineering and Information Technology Building, Criminology and Midwifery Building, Research and Agriculture and Forestry Laboratory Building, Gymnasium, Student Center, Business Center Building, Male and Female Dormitory Building, Male and Female Dormitory Buildings, Technical Vocational Building, Clonal Building and Nursery and the establishment of satellite campus in Bagbag, Rizal, Kalinga that resulted for the expansion and accreditation of the school/s curricular programs to a higher level. Dr. Bagtang also initiated the establishment of foreign linke\ages such as; the Student Internship Abroad in the University of Israel, Thai Nguyen University in Vietnam, and as far as the United States of America (USA). He initiated the quest for the university hood of the school. Dr. Bagtang's term ended in 2015.
Dr. Jovita E. Saguibo was appointed by the Board of Trustees as the Fourth President of Kalinga -Apayao State College on 2015. During her term of office, research and extension projects were intensified and sustainable and stable production programs are established. She supported and continued other projects. On December 15, 2015, pursuant to the pertinent provisions of R.A. 7722, KASC was conferred the university status and became Kalinga State University and made Dr. Jovita E. Saguibo the first university president.
Dr. Eduardo T. Bagtang was appointed as the Second President of the Kalinga State University on October 2017. As the present leadership continues to pursue the collective goals and objectives of the institution it always puts into prime consideration the welfare of studentry - Its prime clientele.