IUPUI

Campus & Community Life

Fraternity and Sorority Life

Terms

Alumna

A graduated member of a Women's Sorority/fraternity: Plural Alumnae. Alumnae often support chapter activities through donations, assistance with advising, employment of undergraduates, etc.

Alumni Association

An organization of alumni from an individual fraternity or sorority. The association may be based on geographical location or chapter.

Alumnus

A graduated member of a Men's fraternity: Plural Alumni. Alumni often support chapter activities through donations, assistance with advising, employment of undergraduates, etc.

Badge/Pin (two types)

The active pin is worn on the chest designating an initiated member of a certain fraternity. A new member or associate pin is simpler and is used to designate a new member or associate member of a particular fraternity.

Bid

An invitation to become a member of a fraternity or sorority.

Big Brother/Sister

An older member assigned to assist a new member or associate member.

Brother

An initiated member of a fraternity. It is used as a term of address when an initiated member refers to another member.

Call

The verbal greeting NPHC members within a certain fraternity/sorority give each other.

Chapter

The local campus group of an International fraternity or sorority.

Chapter Advisor

An alumna/alumnus who establishes and maintains a close advisory relationship with a chapter and serves as a teacher, counselor and friend.

Colony

A newly-organized group working toward becoming a chartered chapter of an international fraternity or sorority.

Continuous Open Bidding

Some NPC affiliated chapters continue to recruit and pledge women throughout the school year.

Crossing

A term used by NPHC groups to indicate that a new member has been fully initiated into the group.

Culturally Based Greek Letter Organization

A fraternity or sorority that has aspects of a specific culture incorporated into its ritual, purpose and ceremonies.

Depledge

The process of terminating one's fraternity membership (pledging) before initiation.

Faculty/Staff Advisor

A faculty/staff member who is the organization's representative to the university and who advises the organization on university matters.

Formal Recruitment

The major period of time set aside by the NPC and NIC Chapters for meeting potential new members.

Fraternity

A men's Greek organization. Some sororities are identified as a fraternity in their official name; others describe themselves as being a "woman's fraternity".

Greek Organization

A fraternity or sorority (social, honor, or professional). See Also Greeks.

Greeks

Members of a fraternity or sorority. The term Greek is used because a majority of fraternities and sororities use Greek letters to distinguish themselves.

Hand Sign

A hand gesture made to identify a particular organization.

Hazing

Any conduct which subjects another person, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or psychologically, to anything that may endanger, abuse, degrade, or intimidate the person as a condition of association with a group or organization, regardless of the person's consent or lack of consent.

House

An informal reference to an individual's Greek organization.

Inactive Member

A member who has no material participation in undergraduate chapter activities, such as social activities, living in the chapter house or voting at undergraduate chapter meetings.

Informal Recruitment

A continuous, open recruitment period with no specific, scheduled, system-wide activities of recruitment and pledging. Bids may be extended and accepted at any time - see also Continuous Open Bidding.

Informational

A forum for individuals interested in seeking more information about a particular NPHC fraternity or sorority.

Initiation

A formal ceremony in which an individual becomes a full member of a Greek organization.

Interest Group

A group of individuals on campus in the first stage of the process leading to installation as a chapter of a Greek-letter organization.

(Inter)National Headquarters

The central organization of a particular fraternity or sorority.

Legacy

A son/daughter, brother/sister, grandson/granddaughter or nephew/niece of a fraternity/sorority member.

Line

Individuals going through the membership intake process for each NPHC organization.

Member

See Active.

Membership Intake

A term given to National Pan - Hellenic Council (NPHC) fraternities' and sororities' membership process.

National Association of Latino Fraternal Organization (NALFO)

National umbrella council for Latino Greek letter organization. There are 24 member organizations; one of these organizations is represented on IUPUI’s campus, Sigma Lambda Gamma. (See also www.nalfo.org/)

National Pan-Hellenic Conference (NPC)

The governing body for 26 national and international women's fraternities/sororities. (See also www.npcwomen.org)

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)

On May 10, 1930, on the campus of Howard University, in Washington DC, the National Pan-Hellenic Council was formed as a permanent governing organization with the following charter members: Omega Psi Phi and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternities, and Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta and Zeta Phi Beta Sororities. In 1931, Alpha Phi Alpha and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternities joined the Council. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority joined in 1937 and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity completed the list of member organizations in 1997. These organizations make up the "Divine Nine," seven of which are recognized at IUPUI. (See also www.nphchq.org)

New Member

A person who has accepted a bid to join a fraternity or sorority chapter but has not yet been initiated. Also see Associate Member.

North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC)

The governing body for 66 national and international men's fraternities. (See also www.nicindy.org)

Philanthropy

Community service events done by fraternities and sororities to raise money for local and national charities. Each organization has their own philanthropy to which they donate time, money, and energy.

Pledge

See New Member.

Pledging

The term used by Greek organizations for individuals who are becoming members.

Potential New Member (PNM)

A person who is going through recruitment to join a Greek organization.

Probate Show

A term used by NPHC groups to designate the time when new members of such groups present themselves to the campus. Those joining an NPHC group are generally not known and thus it is a time when the new members are revealed. Typically, stepping is demonstrated as well as testimonials from the new members.

Neophyte

A new member of an NPHC fraternity or sorority.

New Member (Pledge) Program

A time before initiation during which new members learn about their fraternity, its new members, activities, and responsibilities.

Recruitment/Rush Chair

The person from each fraternity or sorority who is in charge of each chapter's rush functions.

Recruitment/Rush

A program (and period of time) of membership recruitment by Greek organizations. Rush is primarily a process for exchanging information: Fraternity and sorority members give information about their respective organizations to potential new members (PNMs). The PNMs give information about themselves and inquire about the missions, philosophies, financial obligations, Alumni opportunities and membership commitment of the organization that he or she is Rushing. It is an active process on both sides to ensure that new members are properly matched with a Greek Letter Organization (GLO). Every fraternity is not for every potential new member and vice versa.

Ritual

The traditional beliefs and oaths of a sorority or fraternity usually used in reference to the Ceremonies of Initiation as well as weekly chapter meetings. These traditions do not include any forms of hazing, because hazing weakens the bonds of brotherhood / sisterhood, and undermines the common experience of the fraternity or sorority. Ritual does however, ensure that all members share a common experience across multiple campuses and generations.

Sister

An initiated member of a sorority/women's fraternity. It is used as a form of address when one initiated member is refers to another member.

Sorority

A group of women joined together in friendship for leadership and academic purposes.

Stepping

A traditional performance involving dance, marching, calls, and symbolism of the traditional culture of an organization.

Strolling

Traditional dances or "party walks" at NPHC fraternity or sorority social events.

Yard

A term used by NPHC groups to indicate the campus. Used in phrases such as “which groups are on the yard,” meaning which groups are presently active at IUPUI.

* Taken from Theta Chi, University of Texas-Arlington, Ball State University, George Washington University, University of Texas at Austin

Greek Alphabet