glossary
African American Fraternal Sororal Association (AAFSA)
A student governing body for historically Black Greek organizations, comprised of members of each AAFSA organization. At Stanford, this includes the following: Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta and Kappa Alpha Psi.
Active
A member who has completed his/her period of new membership and has been formally initiated into his/her fraternity/sorority.
Bid
A formal invitation to join a fraternity or sorority extended at the end of formal recruitment.
Chapter
The local group that represents a segment of the larger national organization of a sorority or fraternity.
Collective Responsibility
A University policy that mandates that Greek-letter organizations are held responsible for the collective conduct of their members. Since Greek organizations have the privilege of choosing their own members they are expected to govern the behavior of their members in a way consistent with the University's educational mission and standards of conduct. Thus, Greek organizations bear a responsibility for the individual actions of their group members when this behavior is part of a group activity or represents chapter norms.
Continuous Open Bidding (COB)
Any recruitment that occurs after the formal recruitment period. Chapters may chose to extend a bid to any unaffiliated students (except for freshmen during their first two quarters), even if they did not participate in formal recruitment.
Depledge
A student who withdraws from a chapter after accepting a bid, but before the student is initiated by a chapter.
Greek
A term applied to members affiliated with a Greek-letter fraternity or sorority.
IFC (Interfraternity Council)
The governing body for fraternities associated with the National Interfraternity Conference. At Stanford this includes the following: Alpha Epsilon Pi, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Delta Tau Delta, Kappa Alpha, Kappa Sigma, Phi Kappa Psi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Thelta Delta Chi
Initiation
Usually a final ritual of new membership in which new members are formally inducted into their local chapter and their affiliated national organization.
ISC (Intersorority Council)
A student governing body for national panhellenic sororities. At Stanford this includes the following: Alpha Epsilon Phi, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Pi Beta Phi
Intake
A recruitment and selection process used by AAFSA member groups. Aspects of the intake program may include: selection, info sessions, an application process, interview, chapter vote and education, initiation and post-initiation orientation.
Legacy
The daughter/son or sister/brother (and in some groups, granddaughter/grandson) of an initiated member.
Multicultural Greek Council (MGC)
A student governing body for multicultural Greek organizations: Gamma Zeta Alpha, Lambda Phi Epsilon, Alpha Kappa Delta Phi, Lambda Theta Nu, Sigma Psi Zeta and Sigma Theta Psi
National
The nationwide governing body for each Greek organization.
Organization Conduct Board (OCB)
The University-recognized body, under the Dean of Students, responsible for reviewing reported conduct issues with all student organizations, including Greek organizations.
Philanthropy
Chapter sponsored fundraising activities for a local or national charity.
New Member Period (formerly known as Pledge Period)
In some chapters, the period following membership selection during which new members learn about their fraternity or sorority. The new member, or pledge period, prepares individuals for initiation into full membership in their chapter.
Prospective New Member (PNM)
Individual participating in recruitment.
Recruitment
The formal period set aside for the entertaining and selecting of prospective members for membership of IFC, ISC and MGC chapters. Recruitment is a period of social activity during which those interested in belonging to a Greek group may become acquainted with chapter members. Prospective members become new members as a result of a mutual selection process during this time.
Sigma Rho Chi (Sorority Recruitment Counselor)
An ISC sponsored recruitment counselor, disaffiliated from her chapter and trained and managed by the ISC. Functioning somewhat like a RA, the Sigma Rho Chi assists prospective members during ISC's formal Recruitment process.
Snap Bid
A formal invitation to join an ISC chapter that did not fill its formal recruitment quota. Only PNMs (prospective new members) that participated in ISC's formal recruitment may receive a Snap Bid.
Total
The maximum membership size an ISC chapter may have at Stanford University . This maximum number (currently 75) is set by Intersorority Council and is used to maintain all ISC chapters at an 'equal size."
