Greek Life Glossary
The words your student will start using, explained.
- Bid
- A formal invitation to join a fraternity or sorority (NPC and IFC groups).
- Bid Day
- The day sorority recruitment ends and new members receive and accept their bids.
- Big / Little
- A mentoring pair: an older member (Big) guides a new member (Little).
- Chapter
- The local branch of a national or international organization on a campus or in a city.
- Crossing
- Completing membership intake and becoming a full member, especially in Divine Nine and culturally based organizations.
- Divine Nine
- The nine historically Black fraternities and sororities of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC).
- Founders Day
- The annual celebration of an organization's founding date.
- Graduate / alumni chapter
- A chapter for members after college. Central to Divine Nine membership.
- IFC
- Interfraternity Council, the campus council that usually governs men's general fraternities.
- Initiation
- The private ritual that makes a new member a full member.
- Intake (MIP)
- The membership intake process Divine Nine organizations use instead of recruitment.
- Legacy
- A student whose parent, grandparent or sibling belongs to the same organization.
- Line
- The group of people who crossed together in a Divine Nine or culturally based chapter.
- New member
- Someone who has accepted a bid or invitation and is in the education period before initiation.
- New member presentation (probate)
- A public show where some chapters introduce their newly crossed members.
- NIC
- North American Interfraternity Conference, a trade association of men's fraternities.
- NPC / Panhellenic
- National Panhellenic Conference, the umbrella group for 26 sororities, and the campus council that governs them.
- NPHC
- National Pan-Hellenic Council, the umbrella council for the Divine Nine.
- Paraphernalia (para)
- Clothing and items with an organization's letters, colors and symbols.
- Philanthropy
- The charity or cause a chapter raises money and volunteers for.
- PNM
- Potential new member, a student going through sorority recruitment.
- Preference (pref)
- The final, most formal round of sorority recruitment.
- Recruitment (rush)
- The period when NPC and IFC chapters meet and invite new members.
- Recruitment counselor
- A sorority member who sets aside her own chapter during recruitment to guide new students. Also called Rho Gamma or Pi Chi.
- Stole
- A sash worn over a graduation gown, often with letters and the year a member joined.
Want the bigger picture? Start with Greek Life 101.