Fast Facts

Grade Reports

Fraternity and Sorority Terminology

Alumni/a – A fraternity (alumni) or sorority (alumna) member who has graduated and is a lifelong member of the organization.

Bid – An official invitation to become a new member of a particular fraternity or sorority.

Big Brother/Sister – An initiated member that is selected to mentor a new member.

Bra - What a member of a historically African American fraternity calls his fraternity brother.

Brother – A term used by members of a fraternity when referring to one another.

Candidate – A person going through the membership intake process for an NPHC organization.

Chapter – A term used by inter/national fraternities and sororities for their local group at an individual campus. 

Crossing – The process of becoming an initiated member in NPHC fraternity or sorority.

Greek – A term used to refer to fraternity and sorority members and their organizations due to their use of Greek letters.

Hazing – Any type of action or activity that does not contribute to the positive development of a person. Hazing is against the law and is not tolerated at UA.

Initiation – The traditional ritual which brings a new member into full membership in the fraternity or sorority.

Intake – The process used by historically African American fraternities and sororities to enlist new members.

Interfraternity Council (IFC) – The governing body of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) member fraternities.

Legacy – A potential new member who has a close relative (usually parent, grandparent, or sibling) who is a member of a fraternity or sorority.

Line – What a new member class is called in a historically African American fraternity or sorority.

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) – The coordinating body for the nine historically African American fraternities and sororities.

New Member – A person who has accepted a bid but has not yet been initiated.

New Member Class – A group of individuals who have pledged themselves to membership in a particular fraternity or sorority.

Panhellenic Council (PHC) – The governing council of National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) member sororities.

Potential New Member – A full-time UA student interested in joining a fraternity or sorority.

Recruitment – The process used by fraternities and sororities to enlist new members.

Sister – A term used by members of a sorority when referring to one another.

Soror – What a member of a historically African American sorority calls her sorority sister.