Sorority Speak
Sorority Speak is what we call terms that you mostly find within the Panhellenic community. They are things that may be referred to within the recruitment process or just your time in a chapter.
Active: A person who has been initiated into lifelong membership in a fraternity or sorority
Badge: A sorority pin worn by an initiated member which bears an emblem of the organization
Bid: An invitation to become a member of an organization extended to a Potential New Member
Big Sister (“Big”): A member of a chapter who has chosen to mentor a new member, guiding her through her new member program, and helping her navigate sorority life.
Chapter: A local designation of a national fraternity or sorority.
Disaffiliation: The period of time 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 the identity of her chapter affiliation to help potential new members have a fair, unbiased recruitment experience.
Continuous Open Bidding (COB): The period at which a chapter, not yet at campus total, is able to recruit members. COB is typically completed through invitations extended at the discretion of the individual chapter. This process takes into account all information stated within the Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (MRABA).
Primary Recruitment: The primary process by which the Panhellenic Association brings Potential New Members to meet and learn about each Panhellenic chapter at USF. This process is completed each fall semester through a series of organized rounds. Each round includes events hosted by each sorority that provide an opportunity for conversations between sorority women and PNMs. The intention is for every PNM to find one single chapter to call “home” through a mutual selection process.
Informal Recruitment: A less structured recruitment process where a limited number of chapters participate. Informal Recruitment happens in the spring semester and, comparatively, it is more casual, with less events. Informal Recruitment events are scheduled by the individual chapters that are participating. Please note: some chapters may host invitation-only events.
Initiation:The formal ceremony that brings new members into full membership of a sorority or fraternity. Once you are initiated into a NPC sorority, you are not eligible for membership into any other NPC sorority.
Legacy: A PNM whose mother or sister is an alumna, or an active member in, a particular sorority. It is up to the national organizations to determine legacy status of Potential New Members. It is important to note that a chapter is not obligated to extend a bid to its legacies.
Little Sister (“Little”): A new member of a sorority who is mentored by an older sister (also known as a Big Sister) of that organization.
MRABA (Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement): This is a one year binding agreement signed by a Potential New Member at the conclusion of the recruitment process. When she signs this, a PNM agrees to accept a bid from any chapter she ranks at the completion of Preference Day. If a PNM receives a bid to a Chapter she listed and declines it, she is bound to the MRABA it for one year, or until the next primary recruitment period and cannot accept a bid to any other organization. If a PNM signs a MRABA during the Formal Recruitment period and does not receive a bid, she is eligible for COB.
Mutual Selection: The method by which a chapter evaluates potential new members and potential new members evaluate chapters as they are narrowing down their desired invitations during the Primary Recruitment process. As Potential New Members evaluate the chapters they are most interested in joining, the chapters evaluate the women whom they believe best align with that organization’s values and the active members of their chapter. After each round of Recruitment, Potential New Members prioritize which chapters they would like to visit the next round of events based on the conversations they had with chapter members, how their values align with those of the chapters, and where they feel most comfortable. Invitations to further events result from this Mutual Selection Process. It is important to note that the Mutual Selection Process may mean not going back to a chapter you prioritized highly as you may receive an invitation to a chapter you have indicated as a low priority; reasons you may receive an invitation to a sorority you indicated as a low priority include (but are not limited to) how many Potential New Members a sorority can invite back and not meeting membership requirements like GPA. The Mutual Selection Process is designed to give Potential New Members an opportunity to better get to know as may chapters as possible; those chapters who have invited Potential New Members back have identified them as someone who fits the values and expectations of their organization and want to get to know deeper.
National Panhellenic Council (NPC): The governing body for the 26 national and international women’s fraternities and sororities under the Panhellenic umbrella. At the University of South Florida we are proud to host 10 of the 26 NPC organizations.
New Member: A person who has accepted a bid to join a fraternity or sorority but has not yet been initiated.
New Member Educator: A chapter member who has been elected to lead the New Member Education process and prepare new members for initiation
Philanthropy: A national and/or local charity that a sorority supports by donating hands-on service and/or money through service, and raising awareness.
PNM: Potential New Member (PNM): Any woman who is eligible to participate in the recruitment process
PNM Bill of Rights: A set of guidelines created by the National Panhellenic Conference, ensuring a fair, positive, and safe Recruitment experience. The PNM Bill of Rights is signed by every Potential New Member to ensure equal treatment.
Rho Gamma/Recruitment Guides: Rho Gammas are women who have chosen to disaffiliate from their chapters so they may best help Potential New Members find their home in the Panhellenic community without any bias or one-sidedness. They are trained to help PNMs when decisions get tough, answer any questions, and promote positivity during the Recruitment process!
Ritual: The ceremonies, values, and traditions specific to each sorority or fraternity which serve as inspiration for how members strive to live their daily lives positively.
Sister: An initiated member of a sorority; how initiated members address one another.
Sisterhood: The mutual bond of friendship between members of the same sorority. Sisterhood is built upon the values and Rituals shared by the members of the organization.