| Active |
An undergraduate sorority member who has been initiated by her chapter. |
| Alumna |
A member of a sorority who is no longer an undergraduate. Plural: Alumnae. |
| Alumnus |
A member of a fraternity who is no longer an undergraduate. Plural: Alumni.
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| Badge |
The pin of an initiated member. |
| Bid |
An invitation to join a sorority or fraternity. |
| Chapter |
A membership unit of a national or international sorority or fraternity |
| Continuous Open Bidding (COB) |
Time periods during the school year other than formal recruitment when COB bids may be extended and accepted. (COB may also called open bidding and informal membership recruitment.) |
| Formal Membership Recruitment |
A designated membership recruitment
period during which a series of organized events are held by each
sorority. Membership recruitment is organized and implemented by the Panhellenic Association. |
| Fraternity |
A men's Greek organization, especially a general college fraternity (as distinguished from an honor, professional, or recreational fraternity or society) and the term applied to any Greek organization. Some sororities are identified as a fraternity in their official name; others describe themselves as being a "woman's fraternity."
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| Greeks |
Members of a fraternity or sorority. The term "Greek" is used because a majority of fraternities and sororities use Greek letters to distinguish themselves.
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| Hazing |
Any willful act or practice by a member, directed against a member or new member, which, with or without intent, is likely to: cause bodily harm or danger, offensive punishment,or disturbing pain, compromise the person's dignity; cause embarrassment or shame in public; cause the person to be the object of malicious amusement or ridicule; cause psychological harm or substantial emotional strain; and impair academic efforts. In addition, hazing is any requirement by a member which compels a member or new member to participate in any activity which is illegal, is contrary to moral or religious beliefs, or is contrary to the rules and regulations of the sorority/fraternity, institution of learning, and civil authorities. The Panhellenic Council and all Greek organizations have anti-hazing policies. |
| Initiation |
A formal ceremony in which an individual becomes a member of a Greek organization.
|
| Interfraternity Council (IFC) |
The IFC is the men's counterpart to the
College Panhellenic Association. Its membership is comprised of fraternities belonging to the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC). |
| Lavaliere |
A pendant with a fraternity's/sorority's Greek letters on it. |
| Legacy |
Each sorority has its own definition of a "legacy." It is generally defined as a an immediate family member of an initiated member, such as a sister or daughter. Some sororities also recognize a granddaughter, step daughter or step sister. |
| National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) |
A conference body of 26 nationally recognized women's social sororities/fraternities. |
| New Member |
A woman who has accepted a sorority bid but is not yet an initiated membe.r |
| Panhellenic |
A word meaning "All Greek."
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| Panhellenic Council |
The College Panhellenic Association is a
cooperative campus organization of collegiate members of NPC sororities. |
| Potential Member |
Any woman interested in becoming a sorority member who is matriculated and eligible to join according to the Panhellenic Council's requirements. |
| Philanthropy |
Charitable projects or donations sponsored by a fraternity or sorority.
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| Quota |
A term used by Panhellenic chapters which specifies a number of new members each sorority can accept during formal recruitment. |
| Recommendation (Reference) |
A letter or a form written by an alumna
member recommending a potential member to a sorority. |
| Recruitment Counselor |
A Panhellenic representative who has no
contact with her own chapter during formal membership recruitment and is
available to guide women through the recruitment process and answer questions. |
| Recruitment |
An organized activity by which a sorority seeks and selects new members.
|
| Reference (Recommendation) |
A letter or a form written by an alumna
member recommending a potential member to a sorority. |
| Ritual |
The ceremony by which an organization brings those who have met initiation requirements into full membership. The ritual expresses the founding principles upon which each organization was established.
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| Sister |
A term used within a women's fraternity/sorority when referring to other members. |
| Soror |
The Greek term for "sister."
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| Sorority |
A woman's Greek organization. This is the term commonly used to distinguish between men's (fraternity) and woman's (sororities) organizations. (Some sororities are identified as a fraternity in their official name.
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