FRATERNITY AND SORORITY LIFE TERMINOLOGY
| Letter | Name | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A | Alpha | (AL-fuh) |
| B | Beta | (BAY-tuh) |
| Γ | Gamma | (GAM-uh) |
| Δ | Delta | (DEL-tuh) |
| E | Epsilon | (ep-SUH-lon) |
| Z | Zeta | (ZEY-tuh) |
| H | Eta | (EY-tuh) |
| Θ | Theta | (THAY-tuh) |
| I | Iota | (ahy-OH-tuh) |
| K | Kappa | (KAP-uh) |
| Λ | Lambda | (LAM-duh) |
| M | Mu | (myoo) |
| N | Nu | (nyoo) |
| O | Omicron | (OM-i-kron) |
| Π | Pi | (pahy) |
| P | Rho | (roh) |
| Σ | Sigma | (SIG-muh) |
| T | Tau | (taw) |
| Υ | Upsilon | (YOOP-suh-lon) |
| Φ | Phi | (fahy) |
| X | Chi | (kahy) |
| Ψ | Psi | (sahy) |
| Ω | Omega | (O-mee-guh) |
Glossary of Greek Life Terms
Active: A member who has been initiated into lifelong fraternity or sorority membership and is active at the collegiate level.
Alumna/Alumnus: A member of a sorority/fraternity who is no longer in college.
Badge: The pin of an initiated member.
Bid: A formal invitation to join a fraternity or sorority.
Bid Day: The last day of recruitment when new members accept their bids and officially join their new organization.
Big: Short for “big sister” or “big brother”; an active member who serves as a mentor for newer members.
Brother: A term used by fraternity members to refer to one another.
Celebration Events: The introduction of new members of an NPHC chapter to the fraternity, sorority, and campus communities.
Chapter: A local group of the larger national organization.
Colony: A student organization in the final stage before being installed as a chartered chapter of a nationally affiliated organization.
Continuous Open Recruitment: A process that allows chapters to continuously recruit and bid new members outside of the formal recruitment period.
Deferred Recruitment: The policy at Frostburg that requires students to achieve at least 12 credit hours and a minimum grade requirement before joining.
Formal Recruitment: The period of time set aside by the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association for meeting potential members.
Fraternity: The name applied to all Greek-letter organizations. Informally, this name applies to men's groups, while women’s groups may be sororities or female fraternities.
Greek Week: An annual celebration in which chapters participate in educational, social, and service events.
Initiation: The formal ceremony that brings a new member into full membership.
Intake: The process by which NPHC chapters recruit, inform, and initiate new members.
Legacy: Someone whose parent, sibling, or grandparent is an initiated member of a social fraternity or sorority.
Little: Short for “little sister” or “little brother”; a newer member mentored by an older member.
National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC): The governing body of nine nationally recognized fraternities and sororities.
National Panhellenic Conference (NPC): The governing body for 26 national and international sororities and female fraternities.
New Member: A potential member who has accepted a bid but has not yet been initiated.
New Member Program: The learning period before initiation, including education on history and important topics.
Panhellenic Association (Panhel): The governing body for recognized sororities and female fraternities at Frostburg State University.
Sister: A term used by sorority members to refer to one another.
Sorority: A group of women joined together in friendship for leadership and academic purposes.
