PNM (Potential New Member):
Any woman eligible to participate in the recruitment process.
Bid:
An invitation to become a member of an organization extended to a Potential New Member.
PNM Bill of Rights:
Guidelines created by the National Panhellenic Conference to ensure a fair, positive, and safe recruitment experience for all Potential New Members.
Chapter:
A local designation of a national fraternity or sorority.
Active:
A person who has been initiated into lifelong membership in a fraternity or sorority.
Little Sister (“Little”):
A new member of a sorority who is mentored by an older member, known as a Big Sister.
Sisterhood:
The lifelong bond of friendship between members of the same sorority, built on shared values, traditions, and experiences.
National Panhellenic Conference (NPC):
The governing body for 26 national and international women’s fraternities and sororities. USF hosts 10 of these NPC organizations.
Primary Recruitment:
The formal recruitment process held each fall, where Potential New Members (PNMs) meet and learn about each Panhellenic chapter at USF. Through a series of structured events, PNMs and chapters engage in mutual selection to determine final bids.
Mutual Selection:
The process in which both PNMs and chapters evaluate one another throughout recruitment. PNMs rank their preferred chapters after each round, while chapters invite back the women who best align with their values. Because of chapter invitation limits and membership requirements, a PNM may not always return to their top-ranked chapters.
Rho Gamma (Recruitment Guide):
A woman who temporarily disaffiliates from her sorority to serve as a neutral guide for PNMs during recruitment. Rho Gammas offer support, answer questions, and promote positivity throughout the process.
New Member:
A person who has accepted a bid to join a sorority but has not yet been initiated.
Initiation:
The formal ceremony that grants full membership into a sorority or fraternity. Once initiated into an NPC sorority, a member is not eligible to join another NPC sorority.
Legacy:
A PNM whose mother or sister is an alumna or active member of a particular sorority. Legacy status does not guarantee a bid and is determined by the national organization’s policies.
Ritual:
The ceremonies, values, and traditions unique to each sorority or fraternity, serving as a foundation for its members’ shared experiences.
Continuous Open Bidding (COB):
A process where chapters that have not yet reached campus total may extend invitations to new members outside of Primary Recruitment. COB is conducted at the discretion of each chapter and follows guidelines within the Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (MRABA).
Informal Recruitment:
A more casual recruitment process held in the spring, where a limited number of chapters participate. Informal Recruitment allows for smaller events scheduled by individual chapters and may include invitation-only opportunities.
MRABA (Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement):
A binding, one-year agreement signed by a PNM at the conclusion of recruitment. By signing, the PNM agrees to accept a bid from any chapter listed on her final preference list. If she declines a bid, she is ineligible to accept a bid from another NPC organization until the next primary recruitment.
Disaffiliation:
The period when a member of the Panhellenic Recruitment Team (such as a Rho Gamma, a member of the Panhellenic Executive Board, or the Recruitment Logistics Team) conceals their chapter affiliation to ensure an unbiased recruitment experience for Potential New Members.
New Member Educator:
A chapter member elected to lead new members through their education process, preparing them for initiation.
Big Sister (“Big”):
A member of a chapter who mentors a new member, guiding her through her new member program and helping her navigate sorority life.
Sister:
An initiated member of a sorority; how members address one another.
Badge:
A sorority pin worn by an initiated member which bears an emblem of the organization.
Philanthropy:
A charitable cause that a sorority supports through fundraising, awareness, and hands-on service.