Fraternity and Sorority Life Terminology

This is a national initiative that has prohibited all NPC (sorority) chapters from co-sponsoring any social events where alcohol is present. That means that all of our Panhellenic sorority chapters here at Salisbury are not permitted to co-sponsor (attend) any party or social where alcohol is being consumed starting in the fall semester 2000.

All-FSL averages are the mathematical GPA averages of all the fraternities and sororities put together. These figures are used to compare grades within student populations and to make inferences regarding programming.

A bid is a formal invitation to join an IFC fraternity or NPC sorority.

This is a consortium of Fraternities that have joined together for two reasons; First - To adopt a comprehensive Risk Management plan that would help reduce exposure to risk, and second - To use group purchasing power to gain better coverage and obtain lower premiums on insurance. Currently, six of our Greek letter organizations are members and subscribe to F.I.P.G. guidelines.

FSL Week is a program designed by the FSL Programming Board to increase cross-council relations and unity. The week consists of various competitions such as a tug o' war, song fest', flag football, donut eating contest, and more.

Hazing is defined as "subjecting someone to abusive and/or humiliating mental or physical harm". This activity has been sanctioned by Salisbury University and is not tolerated by any of the national fraternities and sororities. Strict rules and penalties exist at Salisbury regarding the mental and/or physical abuse of anyone involved in the fraternity or sorority. Please refer to the Hazing statement for additional information.

Initiation - A ceremony where a newly joined member, who has completed the necessary steps becomes a full member of the organization. Initiation ceremonies are private and different for all organizations.

Intake is the process of finding, inviting, and educating potential candidates into an NPHC chapter.

The IFC serves as the governing body of the fraternities on campus.

A legacy is someone who has a relative who is a member of the fraternity or sorority they are exploring.

A consortium of National Fraternities and Sororities whose purpose is to define policies and procedures for National Greek Letter Organizations.

A newly initiated member of an NPHC fraternity or sorority.

The national group of 26 women's sororities in North America.

The NPHC is the governing body of the 9 historically black Greek letter organizations. NPHC chapters are often known as the “Divine 9” and work together to promote their mutual interests.

Fraternity and Sorority members often refer to their national/international headquarters or offices as "Nationals". These offices are responsible for making policies and governing chapters at the national level.

This is a National Honor Fraternity for Fraternity or Sorority life members that maintain a grade point average above the All-FSL average, have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Salisbury FSL community, have exemplary character and are either juniors or seniors. These individuals are nominated and voted upon by the university community and then inducted by current members of the Order at the end of the year.

A nickname for the Panhellenic Association.

The governing body of the sororities on campus and a local branch of the NPC. Panhel promotes unity, equality, and sisterhood.

Philanthropy is giving money for a purpose or cause benefiting people who you don't personally know. Each individual chapter has a designated philanthropy/organization for which they raise money each year.

An older member of an NPHC chapter who has been initiated at least a year ago.

Quota signifies how many new members each NPC sorority can take during the spring formal recruitment process. This number fluctuates each year, but ensures that all chapters are receiving equal amounts of new members and continuing to grow.

The recruitment process is a time, typically at the beginning of both the fall and spring semesters, when chapters are trying to gain new members. All students are required be a full-time Salisbury University student, have at least a 2.5 cumulative and previous semester GPA, and have 12 completed course credits.

Risk management is a system for decreasing the chance for injury or accidents in a given area or within a specific organization. Risk Management policies are to protect our fraternity and sorority members from issues relating to illegal drinking, substance use and abuse, fire code regulations, hazing, legal implications of fraternity and sorority affairs, and social events.

Rituals are activities usually secret in nature, known only to the members of a given fraternity or sorority, and typically used during pinning and initiation ceremonies.

During Panhellenic recruitment in the spring semester, Rho Delta's are designated to guide groups of women through the recruitment process. Rho Delta women are specially trained and are unbiased members of the FSL community while the recruitment period is taking place.

Service is time volunteered helping out the community. All chapters participate in service projects and often volunteer their time at non-profits such as Village of Hope, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Salisbury Christian Shelter.

Total is the max number of chapter members that an NPC sorority can have each semester. Total fluctuates each semester as it is based on the average chapter size.