The thing that will define your college experience

GREEK TERMS

Active – initiated member who is at the collegiate level

Alumna – graduated sorority member

Badge – the pin of an initiated member

Bid – formal invitation to join a Greek organization

Big – an active member that is a designated mentor for a newer member

Chapter – a local group of the national organization

Colony – a Greek organization in the final stages of being installed as a chartered chapter of the national organization

Continuous Open Recruitment – a process that allows chapters to continuously recruit and bid new members outside the formal recruitment period

Formal Rush (see section)

Greek Week – an annual celebration in which chapters participate in education, social, and service events

Initiation – the formal ceremony that brings a new member into full Greek membership

Inter-fraternity Council (IFC) – the governing body of 14 nationally recognized fraternities

Inter-Greek Council (IGC) – The governing body of the 4 culturally based chapters

Legacy – someone whose mother, father, sister, brother, or grandparents was an initiated member of a Greek organization

Little – newer member who is mentored by an older member

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) – governing body of the 9 nationally recognized sororities

New Member – a potential member who has accepted the bid to a Greek organization, but has not yet been initiated

New Member Educator – the chapter officer who sees the development of new members and prepares them for initiation

New Member Program – period of learning about the Greek organization with different social and learning events

Open Recruitment – period after formal recruitment where Greek organizations offer bids

Panhellenic Association (Panhel) – the governing body for the 10 nationally recognized sororities

Philanthropy – a service project sponsored by a chapter from which donations of time, goods, and/or money is made

Pledge – aka 'new member'

Potential New Member – a collegiate who is participating in recruitment

Preferential Bidding – the process of mutual selection between Panhellenic sororities and potential new members

Quota – a specified number of women a Panhellenic sorority may offer bids to during formal recruitment

Recruitment Councilor – an initiated member of a Panhellenic sorority who guides potential new members through recruitment

Recruitment Guidelines – guidelines set forth by the IFC to ensure a fair and stress-free (haha that's a laugh) Recruitment process

Rush – aka 'Formal Recruitment'