Greek Glossary

Active - An initiated sorority member in college.

Advisors - Alumnae who bring experience and guidance to collegians.

Alumna - An initiated sorority member, in good standing, who is a college graduate; the plural is alumnae.

Alumnae Panhellenic Association - The cooperative community organization of alumnae (members no longer in school) of National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities.

Bid - Invitation to join a sorority or fraternity.

Chapter - a campus-based group of members that is affiliated with a national or international organization.

College Panhellenic Association - The cooperative organization composed of the chapters of NPC sororities on campus.

Deferred Membership Recruiting - Membership recruitment week scheduled sometime after school opening or in the second semester or at the beginning of sophomore year.

Dropping Out of Recruitment - To discontinue attendance at recruitment events; the potential new member should check with her College Panhellenic as to appropriate procedures.

Fraternity - Name that applies to all Greek-letter organizations, characterized by a ritual, pin/badge and strong ties of friendship. Informally, women's fraternities are called sororities.

Greeks – All sorority and fraternity members.

House Director - The resident adult employed by the fraternity or sorority to manage the house on a daily basis.

Interfraternity Council (IFC) - The male counterpart of the College Panhellenic Association.

Initiation - Inspirational ceremony by which new members become full members.

Intentional Single Preference - Intentional indication of only one choice at preferential signing.

National Panhellenic Conference strongly recommends every potential member list a second preferential choice.

Legacy - Generally defined as a daughter, sister or granddaughter of an initiated member, although each sorority has its own definition of a legacy.

Local - A campus organization, often with a Greek-letter name, which does not have chapters on other campuses and is not a member of NPC.

Membership Recruitment - Period of time formally designated by the College Panhellenic for meeting potential members.

New Member - A young woman who has accepted a fraternity bid but has not yet been initiated.

Open Recruitment - A period following Formal Membership Recruitment with informal recruiting without scheduled events. This is designated by the College Panhellenic.

Panhellenic - (“Pan” and “Hellenic” meaning “all Greek”) brings 26 nationally recognized sororities together at the collegiate, alumnae, national, and international levels. Panhellenic works to ensure the cooperation and success of all member groups.

Philanthropy - A national or local non-profit charity for which a chapter organizes and holds fundraisers.

Potential New Member - High school graduate or an undergraduate student who plans to attend (or is attending) a college which has sororities and who is interested in sorority membership.

Preferential Bidding - A system used at the conclusion of Formal Membership Recruitment when potential members and sororities indicate choices.

Quota - System used to equalize, in general, the number of members in each campus group. It means the number of women who may be offered bids in the recruitment process by each group. The quota is set by the College Panhellenic and depends on the number of potential members and sororities on a particular campus.

Recommendation, Reference or Letter of Information - Specific information form regarding a potential member. Each sorority has its own form.

Recruitment - The activity by which fraternities or sororities and potential members get acquainted.

Silence - The period of time designated by each College Panhellenic when there is no communication between potential new members and college sorority members.

Sorority - A Greek-letter sisterhood.

Sorority Housing - Housing varies from campus to campus. It may be a chapter room or suite that is the social center and meeting place for members. A lodge is another option. These are small houses that are used as meeting place and may or may not have limited living accommodations. A sorority house is the option most familiar to everyone. This is a residence with living accommodations for members and a house mother.