Women's Greek Life at a Glance
Websites
Alpha Chi Omega National
Alpha Chi Omega BSC
Alpha Omicron Pi National
Alpha Omicron Pi BSC
Chi Omega National
Chi Omega BSC
Kappa Delta National
Kappa Delta BSC
Pi Beta Phi National
Pi Beta Phi BSC
Zeta Tau Alpha National
Zeta Tau Alpha BSC
National Panhellenic Conference
Alpha Chi Omega BSC
Alpha Omicron Pi National
Alpha Omicron Pi BSC
Chi Omega National
Chi Omega BSC
Kappa Delta National
Kappa Delta BSC
Pi Beta Phi National
Pi Beta Phi BSC
Zeta Tau Alpha National
Zeta Tau Alpha BSC
National Panhellenic Conference
Women's Greek Terms and Definitions
Active: Sorority member, currently in school, who has completed her New Member program and has been formally initiated by her chapter.
Alumna: An initiated sorority member who is no longer active or in college.
Bid: A formal invitation to a Potential New Member on behalf of that sorority to join that specific group.
Bid Day: The day that Potential New Members receive their bids. Each chapter celebrates all day long with a lot of fun activities! Neither men nor alcohol are permitted during Bid Day.
Chapter: The local group of a national sorority.
College Panhellenic: The cooperative organization of collegiate members of sororities.
Formal Recruitment: The major recruitment period of the year during one weekend early in the fall semester. Formal recruitment consists of different events sponsored by the Panhellenic Council. Potential New Members have the opportunity to visit each chapter house and meet its members.
Greek: A member of a sorority so called because the organization bears a Greek letter name.
Greek Week: A series of special events sponsored by the Greek community to promote community service and Greek unity.
Hazing: Any activity expected of someone in a group (New Member or Active) that humiliates, degrades, or risks emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the person's willingness to participate (www.stophazing.org).
Initiate: A person who has recently become an active member of a sorority.
Initiation: The formal, ritualistic ceremony during which a New Member takes final vows and becomes a full member of her sorority.
Legacy: A Potential New Member whose mother/sister (different groups have different qualifications) is an alumna or active member of a specific sorority.
Mixer: A social activity with two or more Greek organizations.
Nationals: The governing body of each sorority on a national level--the central headquarters of a Greek organization.
NPC: National Panhellenic Conference, a national governing body of sororities, each of which is autonomous as a social, Greek letter society of college women undergraduates and alumnae. This is the national governing body of all 26 national social sororities.
NPHC: National Pan-Hellenic Council, a national governing body for the nine historically African American fraternities and sororities.
Open Recruitment: That period in which any sorority not having reached quota and/or chapter total may recruit and issue a bid to a woman without specifically scheduled bidding or parties.
Quota: The number of women that each sorority may join into their sorority during formal Recruitment.
Recommendation: A written letter or statement recommending a Potential New Member for membership in a sorority. It may be sent from alumni of any chapter and is sent to the chapter of her sorority on this campus. The sorority, not the Potential New Member, is responsible for soliciting these.
Rho Gamma: Sorority members who do not affiliate with their own sororities during Formal Recruitment, but serve as unbiased advisors to Potential New Members during Formal Recruitment.
Potential New Member (PNM): Any student who is regularly enrolled and is eligible according to scholastic requirements, who is interested in becoming a member of a sorority, and who has registered for Recruitment.
Sorority: A Greek letter sisterhood, also called a women's fraternity.
Alumna: An initiated sorority member who is no longer active or in college.
Bid: A formal invitation to a Potential New Member on behalf of that sorority to join that specific group.
Bid Day: The day that Potential New Members receive their bids. Each chapter celebrates all day long with a lot of fun activities! Neither men nor alcohol are permitted during Bid Day.
Chapter: The local group of a national sorority.
College Panhellenic: The cooperative organization of collegiate members of sororities.
Formal Recruitment: The major recruitment period of the year during one weekend early in the fall semester. Formal recruitment consists of different events sponsored by the Panhellenic Council. Potential New Members have the opportunity to visit each chapter house and meet its members.
Greek: A member of a sorority so called because the organization bears a Greek letter name.
Greek Week: A series of special events sponsored by the Greek community to promote community service and Greek unity.
Hazing: Any activity expected of someone in a group (New Member or Active) that humiliates, degrades, or risks emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the person's willingness to participate (www.stophazing.org).
Initiate: A person who has recently become an active member of a sorority.
Initiation: The formal, ritualistic ceremony during which a New Member takes final vows and becomes a full member of her sorority.
Legacy: A Potential New Member whose mother/sister (different groups have different qualifications) is an alumna or active member of a specific sorority.
Mixer: A social activity with two or more Greek organizations.
Nationals: The governing body of each sorority on a national level--the central headquarters of a Greek organization.
NPC: National Panhellenic Conference, a national governing body of sororities, each of which is autonomous as a social, Greek letter society of college women undergraduates and alumnae. This is the national governing body of all 26 national social sororities.
NPHC: National Pan-Hellenic Council, a national governing body for the nine historically African American fraternities and sororities.
Open Recruitment: That period in which any sorority not having reached quota and/or chapter total may recruit and issue a bid to a woman without specifically scheduled bidding or parties.
Quota: The number of women that each sorority may join into their sorority during formal Recruitment.
Recommendation: A written letter or statement recommending a Potential New Member for membership in a sorority. It may be sent from alumni of any chapter and is sent to the chapter of her sorority on this campus. The sorority, not the Potential New Member, is responsible for soliciting these.
Rho Gamma: Sorority members who do not affiliate with their own sororities during Formal Recruitment, but serve as unbiased advisors to Potential New Members during Formal Recruitment.
Potential New Member (PNM): Any student who is regularly enrolled and is eligible according to scholastic requirements, who is interested in becoming a member of a sorority, and who has registered for Recruitment.
Sorority: A Greek letter sisterhood, also called a women's fraternity.