One of the top-tier public universities in the United States (ASU), enrollment-wise, is reportedly having plans down its pipeline to introduce virtual classes in the Metaverse. 

Specifically, as revealed via details of submissions filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on the 7th and 8th of June, the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University submitted seven applications for variations of its name – ASU, Arizona State, Arizona State University – along with that of its football team, the Sun Devils, to have permission for usage in a virtual environment. 

The trademark filings reportedly came with the university’s name, together with the Sun Devils’ pitchfork symbol and logo for use in “virtual environments in which users can interact for recreational, leisure or entertainment purposes” as well as for educational purposes.

For its fall of 2021 semester, ASU revealed 77,881 students were enrolled at offline campuses in America, while 57,848 of students attended via “digital immersion.” 

It’s unclear whether this possible initiative from the university to establish a footprint into the Metaverse – one of crypto’s most interested aspects – may have been fueled by a number of over 42% of the enrollment of its students is for online classes. 

ASU senior director of strategic learner and program mobilization Casey Evans further revealed that digital immersion coursework was the school’s “best tool to enable students to continue learning during this time of physical separation”, which seems to be pointing towards the current global health crisis.

The trademark additionally serves as a sign showing a potential exploration of the ASU into the utility of NFTs, for document authentication of many kinds, nominally diplomas or tickets for university events. 

Previously, ASU has employed blockchain for different uses within the university, including a tracking tool for the spread of  COVID-19 in November two years ago, along with sharing data from the academic records of its students in 2019.