Fraternity & Sorority Life Terminology

Members who have graduated from a college or university

An active member assigned to mentor and guide a new member

A term used by initiated fraternity men to refer to one another

An alumnus/alumna who serves in an advisory capacity to the local chapter

The local group that is part of a national organization

An approved student organization working towards recognition to as a chartered chapter of that fraternity or sorority

A show used to introduce new members of the organization

A term referring to becoming a member after new member orientation / intake typically used by culturally based organizations

Fraternity & Sorority Life

Occurs in the spring semester for sororities belonging to the National Panhellenic Conference during which all member organization may recruit to quota

A group of men bound together by common values rituals goals and brotherhood

An action taken or situation created that recklessly or intentionally endangers another person's psychological emotional or physical health regardless of the person's willingness to participate for the purpose of joining or maintaining membership with any organization group or team.

An individual who is still a member of the fraternity or sorority but has requested that they no longer participate in the day-to-day activities of the organization due to academic family or work commitments

A formal ceremony in which new members become active members of a chapter

The time period between being given an invitation for membership and the final initiation/crossing ceremony this term is typically associated with culturally based organizations

Fraternity & Sorority Council (IFSC) – The governing body that oversees all fraternities and sororities at SBU

A group of individuals interested in becoming affiliated with a fraternity or sorority

A governing body representing over 65 national and international fraternities

The child sibling or grandchild (and some cased niece or nephew) of an initiated member

Individuals who are members of the same intake class

The name for a prospective member class for culturally based organizations

A governing body representing a variety of cultural and multicultural fraternities and sororities

A governing body representing Latino/a based fraternities and sororities

A governing body composed of the nine national historically black fraternities and sororities

A governing body representing 26 national and international sororities

A term that refers to a brother/sister the first semester after they are initiated

Individuals who are participating in the new member orientation process together

The time period between being given an invitation for membership and the final initiation/crossing ceremony

One who has accepted an invitation for membership but has not yet been initiated

An effort project or service to promote human welfare of the raising of funds to be donated for that purpose

An individual participating in the new member orientation process or referring to the new member orientation process itself mostly an outdated term and very few of our organizations still use it 

A show used to introduce new members of the organization

A term that refers a member who has experiences at least one intake process as a member of the organization

A series of events offering members and potential members the opportunity to get to know each other

A word used to acknowledge other members to that crossed in other organizations or the same organization but a different chapter

A term used by initiated sorority women to refer to one another

A group of women bound together by common values rituals goals and sisterhood

A series of complex synchronous and precise rhythmic body movements performed to the tune of stomps songs or chants created by organization members

The traditional dance or “party walk” performed by culturally-based fraternities and sororities