Campus Life

ADVISOR- A professional who serves as a resource and educator for the chapter and its members.

ALUMNA - an initiated sorority member who is no longer in college. (plural: Alumnae).

ALUMNUS - an initiated fraternity member who is no longer in college. (plural: Alumni).

BID - a formal invitation to join a sorority or fraternity.

BID DAY - when fraternity or sorority bids are extended and accepted.

BROTHER - a term used by members of a fraternity when referring to one another.

CHAPTER - The locally, chartered group of the larger, national organization, which is designated by a special Greek letter name.

CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMS - Wagner College office that advises the Greek Community, as well as other student organizations and programs.  The staff meets with all New Members, Presidents, Governing Boards, and works with the students to advise programming, recruitment, and internal function.  If you have any questions or ideas, please visit us in Union 215.

FORMAL RECRUITMENT- a series of gatherings hosted by each sorority during a designated period.

GOVERNING BOARD - Each fraternity is governed by the Inter-Fraternal Council (IFC), each sorority is governed by the Panhellenic Council (NPC), and all organizations are governed by the Greek Senate.  Each governing board works to develop the community, providing leadership opportunities and promoting the Greek Life Spirit.  IFC and NPC oversee specific recruitment and rush processes as well as commuity development initiatives.  The Greek Senate works to recognize the positive contributions within the Greek community, advocate on behalf of the organizations, and maintain communication between the Wagner College administration and the fraternity and sorority organizations.

GREEK - what a sorority or fraternity member is called because the organization bears a Greek letter name.

GREEK SENATE - The Greek Senate is the governing body for all nine social greek organizations.   It works to recognize the positive contributions within the Greek community, advocate on behalf of the organizations, and maintain communication between the Wagner College administration and the fraternity and sorority organizations.

HAZING - activity which causes stress placed on any member that can be mental or physical and is strictly forbidden by New York State Law and Wagner College policy.  Click here for Hazing Policy .

INDUCTION - The ceremony in which an individual begins to become a new member of a Greek organization.  

INITIATION - A ritual based ceremony that marks the acceptance of a lifetime commitment to the fraternity or sorority. 

INTER-FRATERNAL COUNCIL (IFC) - The Inter-Fraternity Council is the governing body for men’s North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) member fraternities.

LEGACY - a person whose parent or sibling is an alumnus/alumna or active member of a national fraternity or sorority. A legacy should be open-minded while going through recruitment, giving himself/herself an opportunity to meet the members of all the groups before making a decision. A fraternity or sorority is not obligated to extend an invitation to join a legacy; a legacy is accepted on his/her own merits.

MIXER – different organization members meeting together socially to get acquainted.

NEW MEMBER - (also associate member or candidate) someone who has accepted a bid to join a fraternity or sorority, but has not been formally initiated.

NEW MEMBER PROGRAM - a period of education when each new member learns about his/her fraternity or sorority.

PANHELLENIC COUNCIL - the governing body of campus National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) member sororities which coordinates sorority activities.

PHILANTHROPY - a service project or fundraising event undertaken by fraternity or sorority chapters on the campus, community, or national level.

PIN - (also badge) a distinctive insignia worn on the chest designating a member of a particular fraternity or sorority.

POTENTIAL MEMBER - someone who is participating in informal or formal recruitment.

RECRUITMENT - a function whereby undergraduates interested in joining a sorority are able to meet with the members and learn more about the organizations.

RITUAL - the traditional ceremonies of a fraternity or sorority containing the secrets shared between members.

RUSH - a period of time whereby undergraduates interested in joining a fraternity are able to meet with the members and learn more about the organizations.

SILENCE - that period of time designated by Panhellenic during formal recruitment week when there is no communication between sorority members and potential members except at recruitment parties and through casual greetings in public. This is done to prevent undue pressure on the potential members during recruitment so that each woman can make her own decisions.

SISTER - a term used by members of a Panhellenic sorority when referring to one another.