Glossary of Terms
Fraternity and Sorority Life has its own terminology that you may encounter throughout the joining process and membership experience. Whether you’re exploring our community for the first time or looking up a specific term, this glossary is designed to help you better understand the language, traditions, and programs that make up Fraternity and Sorority Life at Grand Valley State University.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Active | A formally initiated member of a fraternity or sorority. |
| Alumnae | A sorority member who has graduated from college. |
| Alumni | An all-encompassing and plural form used when referring to multiple members of a fraternity or sorority that have graduated from college. |
| Alumnus | A fraternity member who has graduated from college. |
| Badge/Pin | The fraternity/sorority insignia, worn only by the members. |
| Bid | A formal invitation to join a Greek-letter organization. |
| Bid Day | The last day of recruitment where new members are welcomed into the organization. |
| Big | A term referring to an older mentor member or a Greek Organization. |
| Brother/Sister | A term that is used to refer to another member of a Greek organization. |
| Call | A yell used to identify and greet brothers and sisters. |
| Campus | A college or university. |
| Chapter | The term for the local organization, typically assigned Greek letters. |
| Chapter Advisor | An alumnus/alumna or faculty member who serves in an advisory role to provide guidance to a chapter. |
| Chapter of Excellence | An award system used by the Fraternity and Sorority Life team to acknowledge chapters who meet and exceed our expectations related to programming, academics, and philanthropic events. |
| Charter | Office documentation that an individual chapter is recognized and operates according to the national organization. |
| Colony | A newly formed affiliate of a national organization that has not yet received its charter. The members of a colony are referred to as "founders". |
| Continuous Open Bidding (COB) | A process in which an individual can be offered a bid after the formal recruitment process. |
| Crest | A coat of arms or other symbolism that represents the organization and its principals. |
| Crossing | A term to denote when a person was initiated, typically used by culturally based greek-letter organizations. |
| Culturally Based Greek Lettered Organization | A fraternity or sorority that has aspects of specific or multiple cultures incorporated into its ritual, purpose, and ceremonies. |
Page last modified June 30, 2026