Greek Life

Glossary Of Terms

Active/Initiated Member :  A member who has been initiated into a fraternity or sorority. Typically used by IFC or PHC groups.

Bid :   A formal invitation from a fraternity or sorority to join the organization.

Chapter :   A way to refer to a campus entity of a specific organization.

Crossed :   The time when members are initiated. Typically used by NPHC/MGC chapters. 

Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) :  The specific unit within the Office of Student Engagement that provides oversight, direction, and advisement for all fraternities/sororities and their respective councils

Intake :   The process the NPHC/MGC chapters use to select new members.

Interfraternity Council (IFC) :   The governing body of predominantly NIC and the like fraternities on WIU's campus.

Inter/national Fraternity or Sorority :  A fraternity or sorority holding membership in the North American Interfraternity Conference, the National Panhellenic Conference, the National Pan-Hellenic Council, National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations, National Multicultural Greek Council, the like or a fraternity/sorority that has inter/national status.

Legacy :  A potential new member or active member who is related to a member of a fraternity or sorority.
Each Inter/National organization has different standards for determining legacy status.

Line :   New members of a NPHC/MGC chapter. 

Multicultural Greek Council (MGC): The governing body of historically culturla interested fraternities and sororities including groups affilaited with the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO), National Multicultural Greek Council, and others.

National Pan-Hellenic (NPHC): The governing body of historically African-American fraternities and sororities on WIU's campus. 

Neophyte (Neo) :   A newly initiated member of an NPHC/MGC chapter. 

New/Associate Member :   A potential member who has accepted a bid to a fraternity or sorority and is not yet initiated. Typically used by IFC or PHC groups.

Office of Student Engagement (OSE) :  The department of Western Illinois University to which the Fraternity and Sorority Life unit is within. The OSE is home to all student organizations on campus, leadership and service, SGA, and programming. 

Panhellenic Council (PHC) :   The governing body of all NPC, and the like, sororities on WIU's campus.

Potential New Member (PNM) :   A person interested in joining a fraternity or sorority.

Prophyte :   An older member of an NPHC/MGC group.

Recruitment :  The process the Interfraternity and Panhellenic Councils use to select new members.