Resources and Forms
Glossary
Active: A fully initiated individual of a fraternity/sorority chapter.
Bid: A formal invitation given by an organization asking a prospective member to join their organization.
Big Brother/Big Sister: An older member assigned to assist a new member in his/her college transition.
Brother: A term used by fraternities for its members when referring to members.
Call: audible sounds used by members of culturally based organizations to acknowledge or gain the attention of the other members.
Chapter: The local group of collegiate members of an inter/national Greek Letter organization.
Chapter Total: The maximum number of members to which a PHC sorority chapter can recruit.
Colony: A fraternal membership which is in a trial period with their inter/national organization and the University before becoming a fully recognized chapter.
Divine 9: The name referred to the original nine historically black greek lettered organizations
Formal Recruitment: A designated membership recruitment period during which IFC and PHA hold a series of organized events. It is a mutual selection process.
Fraternity: A Greek-letter sisterhood or brotherhood.
Fraternity and Sorority Affairs (FSA): The office responsible for oversight and support of any and all Greek-lettered organization business.
Gamma Chi (Recruitment Guide): A PHC or IFC member who has partially disaffiliated with their organization during recruitment to assist in the recruitment process.
Hand Sign: Symbol or gesture made with the hand(s) that signify membership in a particular organization.Hand signs should not be replicated by non-members.
Hazing: Any activity which causes undue stress placed on any member that can be emotional, mental or physical.
Informal/Open Recruitment: The unstructured recruitment process by which IFC and PHA take members.
Informational: A forum for individuals interested in seeking more information about a particular NPHC fraternity or sorority.
Initiation: The formal ritual ceremony that brings new members into full membership of the sorority or fraternity.
Interfraternity Council (IFC): The governing body for fraternities in the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC).
Intake: the process by which NPHC fraternities and sororities recruit new members.
Legacy: A potential new member whose grandparent, parent or sister/brother is a member of a particular fraternity/sorority organization.Legacy stipulations vary by chapter/organization.
Mixer: Sorority and fraternity members meeting together socially to get acquainted.
Membership Intake: The process by which interested persons become members of NPHC or MGC organizations. Generally characterized by an informational meeting, an application process, an interview or series of interviews and an educational process.
Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (MRABA): An agreement that must be signed at the completion of recruitment in order for a potential member to receive a bid of membership from a sorority. It is a binding agreement that says that you will accept a bid from any chapter listed and that if the individual chooses to decline the bid they are unable to go through recruitment until the next formal recruitment process.
Multicultural Greek Council (MGC): The governing body for historically-Latinx organizations.
National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC): The governing body for sororities and fraternities in the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
New Member: A student who has accepted a fraternity or sorority bid (invitation), but has not been initiated; sometimes called an associate member.
New Member Pin: A distinctive insignia worn on the chest designating a new member of a particular fraternity or sorority for the period of time between bid acceptance and initiation.
New Member Presentation: Formerly known as probates. This is each of NPHC & MGC's organizations' way of introducing their new members to campus. Usually consists of songs, skits, recitation of history along with stepping.
New Member Program: A period of educational programming during which new members learn the history and values about the fraternity/sorority, its members and activities.
Order of Omega: National leadership honorary organization for affiliated members of Greek-lettered organizations.
Panhellenic Council (PHC): The governing body for all sororities in the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC).
Philanthropy: A charitable service project sponsored by a fraternity or sorority.
Pin (also badge): A distinctive insignia worn on the chest designating a member of a particular fraternity or sorority.
Potential New Member: Anyone not currently affiliated with a chapter who is eligible to participate in recruitment/intake.
Quota: The number of new members each fraternity may acquire during recruitment.
Recruitment: The process of current active chapter members engaging with non-members for the purpose of increasing membership.
Ritual: Traditional beliefs special to each chapter
Sorority: A Greek-letter sisterhood.