Active - A person who has been initiated into lifelong membership in a Greek organization. Also called a Member.
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 - The pin of an initiated member
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
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. A colony is not a full-fledged chapter of an organization, but is in the process of becoming a chapter and receiving their charter
Community Service - work done by members of a fraternity or sorority to support an organization or cause (i.e. Big Brothers/Big Sisters, tutoring at elementary schools, etc.)
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
Founder- one who originates or establishes a fraternity or sorority
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"
Good Standing- the status of chapter or an individual when all responsibilities and standards have been met
Graduate Member- term used to describe a member of an NPHC or NALFO organization who has either graduated from college, or completed the "alumni status" process with their organization. Members of Greek chapters possess an exclusive, lifetime membership to their organization
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
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
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 Rush - A continuous, open rush period with no specific, scheduled, system-wide activities of rushing and pledging. Bids may be extended and accepted at any time - see also Continuous Open Bidding
Initiation - A formal ceremony in which an individual becomes a full member of a Greek organization
Inter-Greek Association - The governing body of the fraternities and sororities at Buffalo State College. It is made up of representatives from the campus chapters and governs inter-chapter relationships, joint Greek activities, Rush, Expansion, and other such activities
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
Legacy - A son/daughter, brother/sister, grandson/granddaughter or nephew/niece of a fraternity/sorority member