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Student Affairs: Terminology of Greek Life
GO Greek! Apply now for fall Sorority Recruitment and Fraternity Rush...
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Active - An initiated collegiate member who is currently paying dues to an undergraduate chapter.
Alumna - A graduate member of a sorority. (plural: alumnae)
Alumnus - The graduated members of a Fraternity. (plural: alumni)
Associate Member - The term used to describe an individual learning about the chapter as they progress to active status (sometimes referred to as pledge).
Bid - A membership invitation extended to a prospective member.
Bid Day - The last day of recruitment or rush where a potential new member accepts the bid to become a member of a fraternity or sorority.
Big Brother/ Sister - An active member chosen to assist and advise a new member.
Brother - An initiated member of a fraternity. It is used as a term of address when an initiated member refers to another initiated member.
Chapter - The local group of undergraduate students on a particular campus recognized by the university and the (inter)national organization.
College Panhellenic Council (CPH) - The governing body of sororities.
Continuous Open Recruitment - The practice of recruiting and offering bids outside of the designated recruitment/rush time period.
Dry Recruitment - The practice (and policy) of abolition of alcoholic beverages from recruitment/rush functions.
Fraternity - An individual men’s Greek-Letter organization.
Greeks – Students who are members of fraternities and sororities.
Greek Organization - A fraternity or sorority (social, honor, or professional).
Independents - Slang term used to refer to students not affiliated with a fraternity or sorority.
Induction - The ceremony in which an individual begins to become a new member of a Greek organization.
Initiation - A ritual based ceremony that marks the acceptance of a lifetime commitment to a fraternity or sorority.
Interfraternity Council (IFC) - The governing body of National Interfraternity Council fraternities.
Legacy (or Leg for short) - Someone who has an immediate family member that is already a member of a Greek-letter organization. Being a legacy does not guarantee membership.
Mixer - A social function between a fraternity and sorority.
New Member - A new member of a fraternity or sorority aspiring to become an initiated member.
New Member Educator - A sister or brother responsible for overseeing the development and education of new members in preparation for initiation. This individual serves as a liaison between the new members and the chapter.
Order of Omega – A national honor society for Greek members who demonstrate outstanding leadership and superior academic performance.
Philanthropy - An effort to promote human welfare. Philanthropic activity is one of the foundations of Greek-letter organizations.
Pinning - See Induction.
Pledge Mom/Dad – see Big Brother/ Sister
Potential New Member - Someone with an interest in possibility affiliating with a Greek organization who is eligible to participate in the formal recruitment/rush process or Continuous Open Recruitment.
Preference Card (for sororities) – A document potential new members sign at the end of formal recruitment indicating her preference of sororities from which she will accept bids.
Recruitment - The organized period by which potential new members and Greek organizations mutually affiliate.
Recruitment Counselor - An upper class member of a fraternity or sorority chosen and trained to assist and advise potential new members during formal recruitment/rush process.
Rush - See Recruitment.
Sister - An initiated member of a sorority. It is used as a form of address when one initiated member refers to another member.
Sorority - An individual women’s Greek organization.
Silence (for sororities) - Formal period of time immediately following the last formal recruitment event, through bid signing (approximately a 15-30 minute period of time), when there is no conversation among potential new members or between active members and potential new members. |
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