Glossary Active: A person who has been initiated into lifelong membership in a Greek organization. Also called a Member.
Alumna: The graduated members of a sorority; Plural: Alumnae
Alumnus: The graduated members of a fraternity; Plural: Alumni
Associate Member: A person who has accepted the bid of a Greek organization, received the associate member (or pledge) pin, and is engaged in preparing for initiation, but who has not yet been initiated into full membership. Also known as a Pledge.
Associate Membership: The term used to describe the period of time that an individual is an Associate Member. Also known as Pledgeship.
Bid: An invitation to a rushee to join a Greek organization.
Brother: An initiated member of a fraternity. It is used as a term of address when an initiated member refers to another member.
Chapter: The local campus group of a fraternity or sorority.
Fraternity: An individual men's Greek organization and the term applied to any Greek organization. Some sororities are identified as a fraternity in their official name; others describe themselves as being a “woman's fraternity”.
Greeks: Members of a fraternity or sorority. The term Greek is used because a majority of fraternities and sororities use Greek letters to distinguish themselves.
Greek Organization: A fraternity or sorority (social, honour, or professional).
Hazing: Any conduct which subjects another person, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or psychologically, to anything that may endanger, abuse, degrade, or intimidate the person as a condition of association with a group or organization, regardless of the person's consent or lack of consent. Hazing is prohibited by Delta Upsilon, as well as all other fraternities and sororities.
House: 1) The residence of a Greek organization. 2) An informal reference to an individual's Greek organization.
Initiation: A ceremony in which an individual becomes a member of a Greek organization. Delta Upsilon's Initiation is completely open and parents, relatives, friends and alumni are invited to attend the ceremony.
Member: See Active.
Philanthropy: Community service events done by fraternities and sororities to raise money for local and national charities.
Pledge: A person who has accepted a bid to join a fraternity or sorority chapter but has not yet been initiated. Also see Associate Member.
Pledging: The term used by Greek organizations for individuals who are becoming members. Also see Associate Membership.
Rush: A program (and period of time) of membership recruitment by Greek organizations.
Rushee: A non-member who is eligible to participate in the rush program, visiting Greek organizations with an interest in possibly affiliating with one organization.
Sister: An initiated member of a sorority. It is used as a form of address when one initiated member is refers to another member.
Sorority: An individual woman's Greek organization. This is the term commonly used to distinguish between men's (fraternity) and woman's (sorority) organizations. As noted previously, some sororities are identified as a fraternity in their official name.