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 |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| Chapter Advisor | An alumnus/alumna or faculty member who serves in an advisory role to provide guidance to a chapter. |
| Chapter | The term for the local organization, typically assigned Greek letters. |
| Campus | A college or university. |
| Call | A yell used to identify and greet brothers and sisters. |
| Brother/Sister | A term that is used to refer to another member of a Greek organization. |
| Big | A term referring to an older mentor member or a Greek Organization. |
| Bid Day | The last day of recruitment where new members are welcomed into the organization. |
| Bid | A formal invitation to join a Greek-letter organization. |
| Badge/Pin | The fraternity/sorority insignia, worn only by the members. |
| Alumnus | A fraternity 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. |
| Alumnae | A sorority member who has graduated from college. |
| Active | A formally initiated member of a fraternity or sorority. |
Page last modified June 30, 2026