Join a Sorority or Fraternity

Interfraternity Council: This council is the representative body for any NIC-member fraternity chapters and their affiliates.

Multicultural Greek Council: This council is the representative body for the Asian, Latina/o, and Multicultural Greek-letter organizations.

National Pan-Hellenic Council: This council is the representative body for the historically African American Greek-letter organizations.

Panhellenic Council: This council is the representative body for any NPC-member sorority chapters and their affiliates.

UMass Amherst has some Greek-letter organizations that are not part of the four Sorority and Fraternity Life councils, but are supported by Student Engagement and Leadership:

Alpha Phi Omega is a national co-ed service fraternity based on the principles of leadership, friendship, and service. (Service Council)

Phi Sigma Pi is a national gender inclusive honor fraternity based on the ideals of scholarship, leadership, and fellowship (Academic Council) 

Tau Beta Sigma/Kappa Kappa Psi are honorary service organizations whose purpose is to support college and university band programs. (Fine Arts Council)

Omega Delta Sigma is a national fraternity for student veterans that aims to help facilitate the transition from military life to collegiate life for servicemen and women, and to provide them a network of contacts. (Currently inactive)

UMass Amherst is open to new organizations coming to campus. Each governing council has its own method of accepting new members, and will require any incoming organization to become a Registered Student Organization for full recognition. The Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life can assist with reserving space and connecting with the councils to discuss a timeline for coming to campus. All new organizations will need to get written permission from their (inter)national headquarters and agree to abide by university policies and Code of Student Conduct.

Email @email for more information.

Α alpha
β beta
Γ gamma
Δ delta
Ε epsilon
Ζ zeta
Η eta
Θ theta
Ι iota
Κ kappa
Λ lambda
Μ mu
Ν nu
Ξ xi
Ο omicron
Π pi
Ρ rho
Σ sigma
Τ tau
Υ upsilon
Φ phi
Χ chi
Ψ psi
Ω omega

A

Active – the exact meaning of this term varies from group to group, but generally it means an undergraduate who currently pays dues and participates in chapter events.

Alumnus/alumna – a member who has graduated. Alumnus is the masculine, alumna the feminine.

Alumni/alumnae/alumna – the plurals of alumnus and alumna, respectively. When both men and women are meant, alumni is the term most often used, although alumna is also appropriate (it's the Latin neuter plural).

B

Badge – the symbol worn by an initiated member of a Greek –letter organization. see also pin

Basileus – synonym for the chapter president used by some NPHC groups.

Bid – a formal invitation to join a Greek-letter organization.

Big Brother/Big Sister – an initiated member of an organization paired with an uninitiated member to help them through the member education period. Often referred to as a 'Big,' some groups use similar familial terms.

C

Call – a sound used by NPHC members to acknowledge one another.

Cane – a popular NPHC fraternity icon.

Crossed – the date of initiation into an NPHC or MGC organization.

Chapter – the smallest self-supporting unit of a Greek organization. Chapters may be part of a national organization, or may exist on their own. See also national, local.

Continuous Open Bidding (COB) – A process in which a woman can be offered a bid after formal rush.

D

Divine Nine – used to refer to the nine NPHC organizations.

Dry – alcohol-free.

F

Formal recruitment – a period of time during which chapters select their new members through a formal process. At UMass Amherst, the Panhellenic Council has a formal recruitment period. see also Panhellenic Council.

Fraternity – a Greek letter organization, which may admit men, women, or both. Although many people use 'fraternity' to refer exclusively to men's groups, many women's groups officially call themselves fraternities, and the most proper term for them is Women's Fraternities.

(The word comes from the French 'fraternité,' which means ‘comradery,’ rather than ‘brotherhood.’ Until this century, it maintained its original meaning in English as well.)

G

Greek Week – a week in the spring semester (generally the last week of April) when campus Greek organizations celebrate the positive aspects of Greek life through performances, competitive athletic events, service and other activities.

H

Hazing – mental or physical harm done to a new member of an organization. Hazing is a felony in Massachusetts.

I

Inactive – an undergraduate member of a chapter not currently participating. see also active

Informal recruitment – a continuous, open recruitment period with no specific activities of rushing and pledging. At UMass, the Interfraternity Council has informal recruitment. see also Interfraternity Council

Interfraternity Council – the governing council for men's fraternities which belong to the North American Fraternity Conference and affiliate chapters. The Council negotiates disputes between chapters, sets general guidelines for its member chapters, and represents the system to the greater community.

Initiate – someone who has gone through a Greek organization's initiation ceremony.

L

Legacy – someone whose mother, father, brother, sister, etc., belonged to a particular Greek organization.

Local – a Greek-letter organization with only one chapter.

Line – The members of a NPHC or cultural chapter new member class.

M

Multi-Cultural Greek Council – the governing council for Asian, Latina/Latino, and Multi-Cultural organizations, for both men and women. The MGC facilitates the activities of the member organizations and represents the system to the greater community.

N

National/international – a Greek organization with many chapters, which have a single governing body. Chapters belonging to national organizations generally have chapter letters, as well as national letters- for example, UMass is home to the Phi chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi.

National Pan-Hellenic Council – the governing council for traditionally African-American organizations, for both men and women. The council facilitates the activities of the member organizations and represents the system to the greater community.

Neophyte – new members of an NPHC organization (and some MGC organizations).

New member – someone who has accepted a bid to join a Greek organization, but has not yet been initiated.

New member period – the time between the acceptance of a bid and initiation. Chapters generally take this time to educate their new members in the organization's history, traditions, and operations.

P

Panhellenic Council – the governing council for NPC sororities and its affiliates. The council sponsors the formal recruitment program, facilitates relationships among its member organizations, and represents the system to the greater community.

Para – short for Greek paraphernalia—clothing and other items with Greek letters and symbols.

Pin – the use of this term varies from group to group. It can mean the same thing as a badge. It can also mean a symbol worn by a new member until their initiation.

Pledge – an archaic term for new member.

Potential New Member – A college student who is participating in the recruitment process.

Probate – Official public display of initiation in the form of a step or presentation.

Prophyte – a neophyte becomes a prophyte when he/she has participated in the initiation of new members.

R

Recruitment counselor – an initiated member of a sorority who guides potential new members through formal recruitment.

Ritual – the sacred ceremonies practiced by every chapter of a Greek letter organization. Generally secret.

Recruitment – a series of events offering members and potential new members the opportunity to get to know each other.

Rush – an archaic term for recruitment that is no longer used. Replaced with Recruitment.

S

Soror – a fellow member of an NPHC sorority.

Sorority – a Greek letter organization, which admits only women. The term did not come into common use until later in the 20th century. See also Fraternity.

Stroll – A line dance done by members of NPHC and MGC organizations.

Y

Yard – campus.