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Active

an initiated member of a fraternity/sorority

Alumna

any initiated member of a sorority who has graduated from college or left college prior to graduation

Alumnae

the plural form of alumna

Alumnus

any initiated member of a fraternity who has graduated or left college prior to graduation

Alumni

the plural form of alumnus for men or a combination of men and women

Bid

an invitation from a sorority or fraternity to pledge

Chapter

group of collegians, officially chartered and recognized at a given college or university

Collegians

an undergraduate member of a college chapter - the word collegiate is an adjective and is only used in conjunction with a noun, such as a collegiate member

Colony

a new chapter or chapter returning to campus after an absence - a colony is not a full-fledged chapter of an organization, but is in the process of becoming a chapter and receiving their charter

Community Service

work done by members of a fraternity or sorority to support an organization or cause (i.e. Big Brothers/Big Sisters, tutoring at elementary schools, etc.)

Continuous Open Recruitment (COR)

Panhellenic sororities term for ongoing, informal recruitment - chapters participate in COR if they do not have more than 58 members at any time during the academic year

Founder

one who originates or establishes a fraternity or sorority

Good Standing

the status of a chapter or an individual when all responsibilities and standards have been met

Graduate Member

term used to describe a member of an NPHC or NALFO (Latino interest USFC chapters at SJSU) organization who has either graduated from college, or completed the "alumni status" process with their organization - members of Greek chapters possess an exclusive, lifetime membership to their organization

Greek

term applied to all sororities and fraternities

Hazing

While SJSU and the State of California have a legal definition of hazing, generally speaking, hazing includes any action, participated in voluntarily or involuntarily, by any member of an organization that causes, or is likely to cause, physical, mental, or emotional harm

House

a chapter's living or meeting facility - never used as a substitute word for "chapter", i.e. a man or woman pledges a chapter, not a house

Initiate

a man or woman who has undergone the initiation ceremony into a sorority or fraternity

Initiation

the process by which a person becomes an active member of an organization

Interfraternity Council (IFC)

the governing body of general interest fraternities

Legacy

a sister/brother, son/daughter or grandson/granddaughter of an initiated member of a sorority or fraternity

Member

someone who has been initiated into their chapter

Membership Intake

recruitment process used by the NPHC and some USFC chapters

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)

the governing council for the nine historically African American fraternities and sororities

Neophyte

a newly initiated fraternity or sorority member, though this term is not used by all organizations

New Member/Associate Member

the term used to describe a first year, uninitiated member of an IFC or Panhellenic chapter - previously referred to as "a pledge"

Panhellenic Association

an organization consisting of 14 nationally recognized sororities established to promote the Greek system and maintain relations among Greek groups.

Peer Review Board

the disciplinary board for Panhellenic sororities

Philanthropy

efforts by fraternities and sororities to raise money for an organization (i.e. sporting events and "a-thons" used to raise money)

Pledge

a young man or woman preparing to become an initiated member of a fraternity or sorority

Potential New Member (PNM)

the term used to describe a man or woman seeking membership in an IFC or Panhellenic organization. PNMs were previously called "rushees".

Quota

the number of pledges any chapter may pledge during a specific rush period

Recommendation or Reference

a written letter or statement recommending a potential new member for membership in a Panhellenic sorority

Recruitment

generally refers to the multiday mutual selection process in which those seeking membership in an IFC or Panhellenic chapter participate - also known as "formal recruitment" - Formal recruitment "period" takes place at the beginning of the academic year, in late August and early September - formerly referred to as "rush"

Recruitment Booklet

the primary promotion and information source for incoming students about fraternities and sororities at SJSU

Recruitment Counselor

members of an IFC fraternity who disaffiliate during formal recruitment and assists potential new members through the recruitment process, similar to an Orientation Advisor for students going through Orientation

Rho Chi or Recruitment Guide

a member of a Panhellenic sorority who disaffiliates during formal recruitment and assists potential new members through the recruitment process, similar to an Orientation Advisor for students going through Orientation

Ritual

the ceremonies celebrated and conducted by every chapter - the secret rites to membership

Tribunal

the disciplinary board for fraternities

Additional Information Regarding Fraternities and Sororities

Anson, J. L., & Marchesani, Jr., R. F. (Eds.). (1991). Baird's Manual of American college fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc.

Gregory, D. E., & Associates (Eds.). (2003). The administration of fraternal organizations on North American campuses: A pattern for the new millennium. Asheville, NC: College Administration Publications, Inc.

Kimbrough, W. M. (2003). Black greek 101: The culture, customs, and challenges of black fraternities and sororities. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.

Nuwer, H. (1999). Wrongs of passage: Fraternities, sororities, hazing, and binge drinking. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

Turk, D. B. (2004). Bound by a mighty vow: Sisterhood and women's fraternities, 1870-1920. New York: NYU Press.

Other texts that contain relevant description or commentary on fraternities/sororities:

Bickel, R. D., & Lake, P. F. (1999). The rights and responsibilities of the modern university: Who assumes the risk of college life. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press.

Bishop, M. (1962). A history of Cornell. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

Boyer, E. L. (1987). College: The undergraduate experience in America. New York: Harper and Row.

Havighurst, W. (1984). The Miami years: 1809-1984. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. An institutional history of Miami University, Oxford, OH. Miami is considered the "mother of fraternities" due to the number of greek-letter organizations founded there (Beta Theta Pi, Phi Delta Theta, and Sigma Chi - "The Miami Triad" - as well as Phi Kappa Tau and Delta Zeta).

Horowitz, H. L. (1993). Campus life: Undergraduate cultures from the end of the eighteenth century to the present. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Rudolph, F. (1990). The American college and university: A history (Rev. ed.). Athens, GA: The University of Georgia Press.

Sperber, M. (2000). Beer and circus: How big-time college sports is crippling undergraduate education. New York: Henry Holt.

Topping, R. W. (1989). A century and beyond: The history of Purdue University. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue Research Foundation.