Overview
When you join one of the 9 National Panhellenic Conference sororities at CU, you also become a member of the Panhellenic Association. The CU Panhellenic Association is the umbrella organization for the 9 NPC sororities chartered at CU, and is responsible for organizing activities of mutual concern and interest to all the Panhellenic sororities on campus.
The National Panhellenic Conference, founded in 1902, is the encompassing organization for 26 inter/national women's fraternities and sororities. Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae. Members are represented on more than 600 college and university campuses in the United States and Canada and in more than 5,300 alumnae associations, making up more than 3 million sorority women in the world.
The CU Panhellenic Association is composed of 9 national sororities. Sororities have enjoyed a rich history at CU for over 100 years. The university's commitment to the Greek system is equal to the Panhellenic Association's commitment to the university.
Panhellenic Creed
We, as undergraduate members of women's fraternities, stand for good scholarship, for guarding of good health, for maintenance of fine standards, and for serving, to the best of our ability, our college community. Cooperation for furthering fraternity life, in harmony with its best possibilities, is the idea that shall guide our fraternity activities.
We, as Fraternity Women, stand for service through the development of character inspired by the close contact and deep friendship of individual fraternity and Panhellenic life. Opportunities for thoughtful human service, through mutual respect and helpfulness, is the tenet by which we strive to live.
It's Greek to Me
| Active | An undergraduate sorority member who has been initiated by her chapter. |
| Alumnae | A sorority member who is no longer a member of a collegiate chapter. |
| Bid | An invitation to join a sorority or fraternity. |
| Chapter | A membership unit of a national or international sorority or fraternity. |
| Continuous Open Bidding (COB) | COB bids may be extended and accepted at any time during the school year other than formal recruitment. (COB is also called open bidding and informal membership recruitment.) |
| Formal Membership Recruitment | A designated membership recruitment period during which a series of organized events are held by each NPC sorority; membership recruitment is organized and implemented by the Panhellenic Association. |
| Fraternity | Greek letter sisterhood or brotherhood. |
| Greeks | Sorority and fraternity members. |
| Fraternity and Sorority Student Life | Greek Life is part of the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Colorado. Fraternity and Sorority Student Life at CU is comprised of the following umbrella organizations: the Panhellenic Association (Panhellenic) and the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC). |
| Initiation | Ritualistic ceremony during which new members receive life long membership privileges. |
| Intentional Single Preference | When a woman only lists one sorority on her Membership Recruitment Acceptance Card. |
| Legacy | A woman whose mother, sister or in some cases grandmother is an alumna or active member of a sorority. |
| National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) | NPC is a Conference body, comprised of 26 national women's fraternities, each of which is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women, undergraduates and alumnae. |
| Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) | The Multicultural Greek Council is the official coordinating agent of the nine constituent member multicultural Greek fraternities and sororities. |
| New Member | A woman who has accepted a sorority bid but is not yet an initiated member. |
| Panhellenic Association | The College Panhellenic Association is a cooperative campus organization of collegiate members of NPC sororities. CU Boulder has 10 NPC sororities and two local sororities that are part of the Panhellenic Association. |
| Potential Member | Any woman interested in becoming a sorority member who is matriculated and eligible to join according to the Panhellenic Association's requirements. |
| Philanthropy | Community service or fundraising effort to promote human welfare. |
| Preferential Bidding | A system used at the conclusion of formal membership recruitment to match sorority and potential member preferences. |
| Quota | The number of women that may join an NPC sorority during Formal Recruitment. |
| Recommendation/ Reference | A letter or a form written by an alumna member recommending a potential member to a sorority. |
| Recruitment Guide (RHO GAMMA) | A Panhellenic representative who has no contact with her own chapter during formal membership recruitment and is available to guide women through the recruitment process and answer questions. |
| Recruitment | An organized activity to meet potential members. |
| Sister | A term used within a women's fraternity when referring to other members. |
| Sorority | A Greek letter sisterhood. |
