Section 3: Terminology

Club and Organization Terminology

Active Member: any member of a student organization who attends at least three (3) general meetings and/or events each semester. Must be a full or part-time LIU undergraduate or graduate student in good standing with the university.

Advisor: a staff/faculty member who supports the student organization and completes required approvals on behalf of the organization. This individual will complete required trainings facilitated by the Promise office, regularly attend organization meetings and events each semester, approve all organizational events and spending, and ensure organizational purchases are made in adherence to financial policies in partnership with Promise. Acts as a resource for executive officers regarding recruitment and retention strategies, leadership development, etc.

Emerging Organization: a new student organization that has not yet met the standards required to be a Blue Pillar organization. Emerging organizations must earn the minimum Blue Pillar ranking by the end of a three (3) month probationary period. Should they fail to do so, the organization will be suspended immediately and lose recognition with LIU Promise and Student Government Association. Emerging organizations must appoint a Student Government Senator to work in collaboration with SGA towards permanent funding, but do not have voting rights while on Emerging organization status.

Recognized Student Organization: a student organization that has earned at least the minimum Blue Pillar ranking at the end of a three (3) month probationary period. Recognized student organizations are in good standing with LIU Promise and the University. Recognized student organizations may request funds from the Student Government Association (SGA), have voting rights in the Student Government Senate, and are eligible for Student Organization Awards at the annual Student Leadership Awards Ceremony.

Probationary Organization/ Unrecognized Organization: a student organization that has fallen below the Blue Pillar ranking or a Probationary Organization that has failed to meet the minimum requirements of their probation. LIU Promise does not recognize Suspended/Unrecognized Organizations; therefore, they must immediately cease all functions and surrender all finances to the Student Government Association. Students wishing to re- activate Suspended/Unrecognized Organizations must follow the New Student Organization Process.

Fraternity & Sorority Life Terminology

Active Member: a member who has been initiated into lifelong fraternity or sorority membership and participates in chapter activities at the collegiate level

Alumni/Alumnae: initiated fraternity or sorority members who have graduated from college

Badge: the pin of an initiated member

Bid: a formal invitation to membership in a particular fraternity or sorority

Big: an active member of a fraternity or sorority who serves as a mentor to a new member, guiding him or her through the new member program and initiation Updated August 2022 Page 9

Call/Chant: audible sounds used by members to acknowledge or gain the attention of other members. Calls may vary regionally within organizations, and some organizations may use more than one call

Chapter: a local group of the larger (inter)national organization, designated by a special Greek name

Colony: a local group of the larger (inter)national organization that has not fully established on a campus, designated by a special Greek name

Greek: any member of a Greek-letter organization

Initiated Member: any member who has completed the new member process and has gone through the initiation ceremony

Initiation: the formal ceremony that marks the beginning of active membership. Each chapter has a different set of requirements in order to be initiated

Intake: the process chapters conduct to recruit, interview, choose, and educate new members

Line: the members of a cultural Greek organization new member class

Little: a new member of a fraternity or sorority who is the mentee of a big

Membership Recruitment: the mutual selection process that prospective members and chapter members go through during the recruitment period to get to know one another

NALFO (National Association of Latin Fraternal Organizations): the representative body governing historically Latino/Latina Greek Letter organizations

New Member: a member of a fraternity or sorority who has not been initiated

Neophyte or Neo: a new member of a cultural Greek organization

New Member Presentation: a formal presentation of a new line to campus. Usually done in a public forum after members have been initiated

New Member Program or Education: period of learning about fraternity and sorority life prior to initiation; this period should not exceed 6 weeks

NIC (North American Interfraternity Conference): governing body for 72 national member men's fraternities and alumni associations.

NPC (National Panhellenic Conference): the umbrella organization for 26 women's fraternities. NPC supports its chapters by promoting values, education, leadership, friendship, cooperation, and citizenship

NPHC (National Pan-Hellenic Council): national organization composed of four sororities and five fraternities whose membership is historically African American

Pinning: a ritual ceremony that designates the start of a new member process.

Preferencing: during the last part of Panhellenic sorority recruitment, a potential new member determines which particular sorority she is willing to join; the potential new member lists three sororities in her order of preference

PNM (Potential New Member): a college student who is interested in joining a Greek Organization and is taking part in the recruitment process

Quota: the specified number of potential new members to which each sorority may extend a bid

Recruitment Counselor: a Panhellenic sorority member who has temporarily disaffiliated from her chapter during formal membership recruitment; they are specially trained to help potential new members and answer any questions they may have about sorority membership

Social: get-together event with another Greek organization

Stepping: a historically black tradition characterized by synchronized hand foot movements, along with singing, dancing, chanting, and acting

Stroll: a line dance done by members of cultural Greek organizations; usually done at a party or step show

Total: the allowable chapter size, including both new and initiated members, as determined by the Panhellenic Council