Terminology

Active/Initiated member: a fully initiated member in a fraternity or sorority.

Associate/Pledge/Candidate/New Member: a non-initiated member of a fraternity or sorority that utilizes a new member program.

Bid: an invitation to join a fraternity or sorority.

Big Brother/Big Sister: many chapters utilize a Big Brother/Big Sister program where an older member serves a mentor to a younger member. The younger member may refer to their mentor as their Big Brother/Big Sister.

Brother: a term used by fraternity members when referring to each other.

Chapter: refers to an individual fraternity or sorority locally on a campus.

Fraternity: a Greek organization for men.

Greek: a member of a fraternity or sorority.

Hazing: Activities related to the initiation, admission into or affiliation with, or as condition of continued membership in a club, organization, association, fraternity, sorority, or student body that may intentionally or recklessly endanger the mental or physical health or safety of any person; inflict bodily injury; remove or destroy public or private property; and/or assist, direct, or cause participation that in any way demeans, humiliates, ridicules, or degrades regardless of the consent or acquiescence of a participant.

Code of Virginia § 18.2-56, as amended, which declares hazing illegal, establishes conditions for civil and criminal liability and outlines the duties of the University when a student has been found guilty of hazing.

Initiation: a ceremony that brings a member to full membership.

Interfraternity Council (IFC): the governing council for nine fraternities. They provide governance, programming, resources, and leadership development opportunities for their membership.

Inter/National Organization: A fraternal organization that is on campuses nation-wide or internationally. 

Legacy: a perspective member of a fraternity/sorority who is a relative of a member. 

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC): a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the “Divine Nine”. 

Membership Intake: collective term for the process of pursuing membership in a National Pan-Hellenic Council or Multicultural Greek Council organization. Each organization will have a more specific term to refer to their individual process.

Multicultural Greek Council (MGC): the governing council for the two cultural based or cultural interest organizations on campus. They provide governance, programming, resouces, and leadership development for their membership.

Panhellenic Council (PC): the governing council for the five Panhellenic sororities. They provide governance, programming, resources, and leadership development opportunities for their membership.

Potential New Member: a person interested in a being a member of a fraternity or sorority organization.

Ritual: the values and beliefs by which members of an organization live and is oftentimes depicted in organizational ceremonies.

Recruitment: the activity by which chapters seek new members.

Sister: a term used by sorority members when referring to each other.

Sorority: a Greek organization for women.

Α Alpha

Β Beta

Γ Gamma

Δ Delta

Ε Epsilon

Ζ Zeta

Η Eta

Θ Theta

Ι Iota

Κ Kappa

Λ Lambda

Μ Mu

Ν Nu

Ξ Xi

Ο Omicron

Π Pi

Ρ Rho

Σ Sigma

Τ Tau

Υ Upsilon

Φ Phi

Χ Chi

Ψ Psi

Ω Omega