BeaconLMS BeaconLMS Log in

About BeaconLMS

Built by a faculty member, for faculty — made for CatSU students.

BeaconLMS is Catanduanes State University's grading and learning management system. It brings classes, materials, assessments, attendance and the class record together — designed to be transparent for students, secured for everyone, and accountable in every grade.

Explore the guide Why you can trust it
Transparent 5 safeguards Secured 5 safeguards Accountable 5 safeguards

Our story

From a faculty member's class record to the university's LMS.

BeaconLMS was not bought off the shelf. It was designed and built by a CatSU faculty member who knows the work first-hand — the class record spreadsheets, the attendance sheets, the exam days in the computer lab, and the students asking, "Sir, Ma'am, what is my grade?"

So it is built faculty to faculty: every feature started as a real need in a real CatSU classroom. And it is built for CatSU students: it connects to the university's own systems, follows the university's own rules, and works on the phones and lab computers students actually use.

Designed and built by John M. Bola, Catanduanes State University

Connected to CatSU

Class lists, schedules, rooms and semesters come from the university system — nothing is encoded twice.

One CatSU account

Students use the CatSU Gateway; faculty and staff their CatSU credentials. No extra passwords to remember.

Matches the class record

Grades are computed exactly like the official CatSU class record workbook, and print in the same layout.

Follows university policy

Attendance limits, special assessments and faculty evaluation follow CatSU rules, applied evenly to every class.

Works on any device

Phones, laptops and lab computers — with notifications delivered straight to the student's device.

Built for both sides

Faculty save hours on recording and computing; students always know where they stand.

Highlights

A look inside BeaconLMS.

A few of the pages students and faculty use every day.

For students

Your grade, computed live — not revealed at the end.

Grades & Tasks shows every score the moment it is recorded, the faculty's remarks beside it, and the running grade for each period using the same formula as the official class record.

  • Running Midterm and Final grade
  • Faculty remarks on each score
  • Pending tasks and due dates in one list
Illustration with sample data.
For faculty

The class record, already computed.

Scores, attendance and online quizzes land in one gradebook that matches the CatSU class record workbook — totals, transmuted grades and the printable layout included.

  • Online quiz scores fill in automatically
  • Every score change is logged
  • Prints in the official class record layout
Illustration with sample data.
Online quizzes & Major Exams

Fair online exams, from the lab to the phone.

Quizzes run locked to fullscreen with a server-side timer. Major Exams add proctor admission and identity checks — and if the power goes out, the student picks up exactly where they left off.

  • Fullscreen lockdown and randomized items
  • Timer kept on the server, not the browser
  • Resume after a crash or power loss
Illustration with sample data.
For students & faculty

Attendance you can see, day by day.

Every meeting's status is visible to the student, along with how many absences remain under university policy — and a notification arrives on their phone the moment something changes.

  • Present, late, absent and excused per meeting
  • Absences left before the policy limit
  • Push notifications to the student's device
Illustration with sample data.

BeaconLMS is not a finished system — it is only the beginning.

It keeps growing semester after semester, shaped by the real needs of CatSU faculty and students. Every feature here started as a request from a classroom — and the next ones will too.

Actively developed

Why you can trust it

Transparent. Secured. Accountable.

Three promises built into how BeaconLMS works — not added on top.

Transparent

Students see what faculty see. Nothing about a grade is hidden until the end of term.

  • Every score, as it is recorded Students see each score the moment it is entered, with the faculty's remarks beside it.
  • The formula is not a secret The grading formula, the weights and the running computation per period are shown to the student.
  • Attendance by the day Every meeting's status is visible, along with how many absences remain under university policy.
  • Clear status, always Tentative grades are labelled as tentative; held grades say they are held — never a silent blank.
  • You are told, not left to check New tasks, posted scores and announcements arrive as notifications on the student's own device.

Secured

Your CatSU account, your data, your classes — and no one else's.

  • No new passwords Students sign in through the CatSU Gateway; faculty and staff through the CatSU system. BeaconLMS never stores a password.
  • You see only your own classes Every page and every file checks that the class is yours — faculty see only their classes, students only their own work.
  • Protected sign-in Repeated failed sign-ins are slowed and blocked, one session per account, and idle student sessions sign out automatically on shared computers.
  • Fair online exams Quizzes run locked to fullscreen; Major Exams add proctor admission, photo identity checks and server-side timers.
  • Files stay private Submissions, syllabi and documents are never public links — each download is checked against who is asking.

Accountable

Every action that affects a grade leaves a record — for students, faculty and the university.

  • Grade edit history Every score change is logged with who made it, when, and the old and new value. Scores are never silently deleted.
  • Online scores cannot be retyped A quiz score comes from the student's actual attempt, and stays read-only on the faculty gradebook.
  • Exams that explain themselves Each Major Exam submission records how and where it ended, with a printable evidence report.
  • Policy applied the same way University rules, such as the attendance limit, are applied evenly to every class, and restoring a student needs documented proof.
  • Faculty are evaluated too Students evaluate every class each semester, and the results reach the administration.

The guide

Every page, for every role.

Pick your role to see how to get started and what each page in BeaconLMS does for you.

For students

Every class, every score, every deadline — in one place.

BeaconLMS gives you the same view of your class standing that your faculty has. You see each score as it is recorded, the remarks behind it, your attendance day by day, and how it all adds up — no waiting until the end of the term to find out where you stand.

Getting started

  1. 1 Sign in with your CatSU account Choose "Log in", then sign in as a student through the CatSU Gateway. You use the account you already have — BeaconLMS never asks you to create a new password.
  2. 2 Add your profile photo The first time you sign in, crop and upload a clear photo of yourself. Faculty use it to recognise you in class lists and when admitting you to a proctored exam.
  3. 3 Open a course, acknowledge its syllabus Each course opens on its syllabus. Read it and acknowledge it — the rest of the course (materials, tasks, grades) unlocks right after.
  4. 4 Turn on notifications Allow browser notifications, and optionally verify an email in Settings, so new tasks, scores and messages reach you as soon as they are posted.

Getting around

Dashboard

Your starting point after sign-in — a quick look at your courses and what needs your attention next.

My Courses

Every class you are enrolled in this semester, pulled straight from the CatSU class lists, with schedule, room and faculty.

  • A course appears once its faculty has opened the class in BeaconLMS for the first time.
Notifications

The bell in the top bar collects every new assessment, posted score, announcement and reply.

  • Delivered as browser push notifications on your phone or laptop, and by email if you set one up.
  • Marked as read only when you actually open them.
Settings & profile photo

Manage your notification email and keep your profile photo up to date.

Inside each course

Syllabus

The course syllabus your faculty uploaded — read it online or download it.

  • You acknowledge it once; your faculty can see who has and has not.
Announcements

Class-specific announcements from your faculty, newest first.

Materials

Lecture notes, slides, PDFs, documents and links, organised by module or week.

  • Preview PDFs and Word files right in the browser — no download required.
  • Some materials open on a scheduled date.
Grades & Tasks

Assignments, quizzes and performance tasks with their deadlines — and your scores for each, side by side.

  • Upload assignment files, take online quizzes, and see your faculty's remarks on each score.
  • A running computation shows your standing per grading period, clearly marked as tentative until finalised.
  • Some tasks open only after you complete a prerequisite, such as viewing a material.
Major Exams

Midterm and Final exams taken in the computer lab under a proctor.

  • Wait in the admission room until the proctor verifies you and lets you in.
  • The exam runs in fullscreen; your answers save as you go.
  • If the lab loses power, your exam pauses and resumes where you left off — the lost minutes are given back.
  • Flag items, jump between them and review everything before you submit.
Attendance

Your attendance for every class meeting — present, late, absent or excused — and how many absences you have left.

  • Self check-in: on designated days, mark yourself present during your own class time slot.
  • You are warned before you reach the absence limit set by university policy.
Group

Your group for group work in this course: members, and a shared group chat with file attachments.

Faculty Evaluation

When the evaluation window is open, you evaluate your faculty for this course before continuing.

  • Exams are never blocked by a pending evaluation.

Requests & communication

Special Assessments

Missed an assessment for a valid reason? File a request with supporting documents and track its status.

  • Your faculty approves or declines it, following the policy set by the university and the faculty member.
Messages

Private messages with your faculty, and replies to class-wide messages they send.

  • Your reply to a class message goes only to your faculty — never to the whole class.
Report a Bug

Something not working? Send a report with screenshots straight to the team.

Help guides

Step-by-step guides such as how to type numeric answers (fractions, units, scientific notation) — with a practice box.

For faculty

Your class record, your classroom and your gradebook — working together.

Every class assigned to you in the CatSU system is already here when you sign in, with its class list, schedule and room. Post materials, run quizzes and exams, record attendance and performance, and BeaconLMS keeps your class record computed exactly like the official CatSU workbook — ready to print.

Getting started

  1. 1 Sign in with your CatSU credentials Use the same CatSU account you use for the university system. Once your college grants the Faculty role, all your classes appear automatically.
  2. 2 Open a class and choose its grading formula Pick one of the grading formulas set by the administration (for example, 50% Midterm and 50% Final) and add the syllabus.
  3. 3 Post your first material or task Add a material, an assignment, a quiz or a performance task. Teaching several blocks of the same course? Post it to all of them at once.
  4. 4 Check your class record Scores flow into the Grades page and the Class Record automatically — attendance included — and print in the CatSU format.

Getting around

Dashboard

An overview of your teaching load and what needs your attention.

Classes

Every class assigned to you this semester, straight from the CatSU system — course, block, schedule and room.

  • Switch between academic years and semesters.
Student Lookup

Find any student in your classes by ID or name and see their standing and missing work across your courses.

  • Press Ctrl K (⌘ K on a Mac) from any page to search.
Profile photo

Optionally add a photo so students recognise you in messages and course pages.

Inside a class · Overview

Insights

A snapshot of how the class is doing — score distributions, submission rates and a "Needs attention" list of students at risk.

  • Spot students falling behind early, while there is still time to help.
Class List

The official class list with student photos, IDs and contact details.

  • Export it to CSV.
Syllabus

Upload the course syllabus and see which students have acknowledged it.

  • Export the acknowledgment list to CSV.
Announcements

Post announcements to this class; students are notified instantly.

Inside a class · Teach

Contents

One list of everything in the class — materials, assessments and performance tasks — to review and tidy up in one place.

Materials

Share files and links by module or week, scheduled to open when you want.

  • Post the same material to every block of the course in one step.
  • See who opened each material.
Question Bank

Build a reusable bank of questions for the course, or import one from an Excel template.

  • Draw questions from the bank into any quiz or exam.

Inside a class · Assess

Assessments

Assignments with file submission, and quizzes that grade themselves.

  • Multiple choice, true/false, identification, numeric answers with units and tolerance, math formulas, images and automaton diagrams.
  • Timed, randomised, and locked to fullscreen.
  • Item analysis after the quiz shows which questions were too easy, too hard or confusing.
  • Print paper versions with shuffled sets and answer keys.
  • Set prerequisites so a task opens only after students study a material.
Major Exams

Run Midterm and Final exams in the lab with a live proctor board.

  • Admit each student after checking their identity against their photo.
  • Watch progress live, send messages, add time, and pause or resume an exam.
  • An integrity page shows each student's full exam timeline.
Performance

Recitation, reporting and projects — graded in class, as they happen.

  • Recitation: pick students at random, with optional questions drawn from your own bank.
  • Projects: grade by phases you define; the phases average into one score.
  • Add a remark to any score — students see it with their grade.
Groups

Create group sets (e.g. lab partners, project teams) and use them for group tasks.

Grades

The gradebook for each component and period, with online scores filled in automatically.

  • Scores from online quizzes are read-only, so they always match the student's actual attempt.
  • Hold grades: hide all scores from students until you are ready to release them.
Class Record

Every grade item by period with totals and point grades, computed exactly like the official CatSU class record workbook.

  • Print it in the same layout as the paper form.

Inside a class · Monitor

Attendance

Mark present, late, absent or excused for each class meeting.

  • Attendance counts toward the grade per period, with a weight you control.
  • Students past the absence limit set by university policy are flagged and dropped automatically; you can restore one with supporting documents.
  • Open self check-in windows for days the class meets online.
Access Log

See when each student opened the materials, attendance and assessment pages.

Evaluation Status

During evaluation week, see which students have not yet evaluated the class — never what anyone answered.

Notifications

A log of every notification sent to your students for this class.

Beyond a single class

Self Check-in

Set up self check-in windows across your classes in one place.

Consultation Hours

Publish your consultation schedule so students know when to reach you.

Special Assessments

Review students' requests for missed assessments, view their documents, and approve or decline.

  • Set your own policy within the university's rules.
Messages

Private conversations with each student, and class-wide messages whose replies come back to you privately.

Bug Reports

Report problems, and see reports students filed about your classes.

Claude assistant (optional)

Where enabled, connect the Claude AI assistant to help review work — it can only suggest grades; you decide and accept each one.

For administrators

Set the rules once — and see that they are followed.

Administrators set the university-wide rules every class follows — grading formulas, the grading scale, assessment policies — and get the oversight tools to confirm the system is used fairly: grade edit history, exam monitoring, faculty evaluation and photo review.

Getting started

  1. 1 Sign in with your CatSU credentials The Administrator role is granted to your existing CatSU account — there is no separate admin password.
  2. 2 Set the grading rules Define the grading formulas faculty choose from and the grading scale, so every class is graded on the same basis.
  3. 3 Publish announcements Post university-wide announcements on the BeaconLMS home page, and send them by email when needed.
  4. 4 Monitor and review Use grade edit history, the Major Exam Monitor and faculty evaluation results to keep the system accountable.

Grading

Grading Formulas

Create the weighted formulas faculty choose from — periods (Midterm, Final) broken into components such as Assessment, Performance and Exams.

  • Set the default grading period and the default weight of attendance.
Grading Scale

The university point-grade scale used on class records.

Special Assessment Policy

The university-wide rules for when students may request special assessments.

Grade Edit History

Every score ever written, changed or cleared — by whom, when, and from what value to what value.

  • Nothing is overwritten silently.

Students & exams

Student Lookup

Find any student by ID or name and see their record across all classes.

Quiz Lookup

Open any quiz attempt and see exactly what was answered and how it was scored.

Major Exam Monitor

For every Major Exam submission: how it ended, where it was submitted from, and the full event timeline.

  • Print an evidence report for any attempt, or export a whole exam to CSV.
Photo Violations

Review student profile photos that do not meet the photo guidelines.

Communication

Announcements

Post announcements on the public BeaconLMS home page — events, maintenance notices, reminders.

Announcement Emails

Send an announcement by email to the people who need it.

Bug Reports

Every bug report from students and faculty in one queue.

Institution

Faculty Evaluation

Set the evaluation questions and the window for each semester, then review the results.

  • Print results per class or per faculty member.
  • Issue access codes so a Dean, Chair or accreditor can view results without an account.
Colleges & Programs

Maintain the list of colleges and their programs used across the system.

Academic years

Control which academic years and semesters are available, and the semester calendar used to count class meetings.

Accountability in practice

How a grade travels.

From the moment a task is posted to the printed class record, every step is visible to the people it concerns — and recorded.

  1. 01

    Posted

    Faculty posts a task. Every student in the class is notified.

  2. 02

    Submitted

    The student submits a file or takes the quiz. The time is recorded.

  3. 03

    Scored

    Quizzes grade themselves; faculty score the rest and can add a remark.

  4. 04

    Logged

    The score enters the grade edit history: who, when, old and new value.

  5. 05

    Seen

    The student sees the score, the remark and the running computation.

  6. 06

    Recorded

    It flows into the class record — computed like the CatSU workbook — ready to print.

Questions

Frequently asked.

I signed in as a student, but one of my courses is missing.

A course appears in BeaconLMS once its faculty has opened the class for the first time. If it is still missing after your first class meeting, let your faculty know.

Do I need a separate BeaconLMS password?

No. Students sign in through the CatSU Gateway and faculty with their CatSU credentials. BeaconLMS does not create or store passwords.

Who can see my grades?

You, the faculty of that class, and authorised university administrators. Other students never see your scores, and faculty can only open their own classes.

Can a score be changed without anyone knowing?

No. Every score that is entered, changed or cleared is recorded in the grade edit history with who did it and when. Scores from online quizzes come from your actual attempt and cannot be retyped by hand.

Why can't I open my course until I acknowledge the syllabus?

So that every student starts the course knowing its requirements, grading and policies — and the faculty has a record that the syllabus reached everyone.

What happens if the power goes out during a Major Exam?

Your answers are saved as you go. The exam pauses, and once the proctor resumes it you continue from the same item, with the lost minutes given back.

Why do I have to evaluate my faculty before continuing?

Faculty evaluation is part of the university's commitment to quality teaching. It opens only during the evaluation window, takes a few minutes, and never blocks you from taking an exam.

Does BeaconLMS work on my phone?

Yes. Every page works on phones, tablets and computers. You can also allow notifications to get alerts on your device.

I found a problem. Where do I report it?

Use "Report a Bug" in the sidebar after signing in. You can attach screenshots, and the report goes straight to the team.

Ready to see where you stand?

Sign in with your CatSU account — your classes are already waiting.

Log in to BeaconLMS Back to home