UNO Fraternity and Sorority Life Program Guide

FRATERNITY AND SORORITY LIFE

PROGRAM GUIDE

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OUR BEGINNINGS A HISTORICALLY RICH BACKGROUND

Dating back to nearly 100 years ago, UNO has been home to several Panhellenic, Interfraternity, Multicultural, and National Pan-Hellenic organizations. Today, Fraternity and Sorority Life encompasses four Panhellenic chapters, four Interfraternity organizations, three Multicultural Greek chapters, and eight National Pan-Hellenic organizations. These groups, each offering something different to campus, aim to empower and motivate students to become the best versions of themselves.

WHO WE ARE

Fraternities and sororities are unique organizations on campus.

They are a student organization recognized by UNO but also a local chapter of a national organization with undergraduate chapters at colleges and universities across the nation. First and foremost, they are values-based organizations that create opportunities for students to get involved in campus life. Each group focuses their activities around standards set by the Fraternity and Sorority Life office at UNO. Individual chapters elect officers to manage the day-to-day operations of the organization. These officers are assisted by alumni who act as advisors.

Each chapter is also responsible to report with their Inter/national organization, which offers support, advice, and direction through paid professional staff and regional volunteers. At UNO, a Fraternity and Sorority Life advisor is on staff and serve as the primary contacts for the Fraternity and Sorority Life community.

Fraternity and Sorority Life at UNO promotes scholarship, leadership, service, and friendship that will grow throughout the college experience and last a lifetime. With chapters from four councils on campus, each student is sure to find their perfect fit.

“Our population of students is a very exceptional group whose hard work and dedication to the values we all share as members of our chapter, campus, and community is unmatched.”

—Dustin Wolfe, Assistant Director, Fraternity and Sorority Life

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BENEFITS OF JOINING

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LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Fraternity and Sorority Life provides students with a variety of leadership opportunities and ways to stay involved on campus.

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Students can participate in their own chapters by serving as officers, or on one of the committees each chapter maintains.

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Additional opportunities exist through involvement as officers or delegates on their respective councils.

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Fraternity and Sorority Life encourages leadership experiences and recognizes them as an important part of a well-rounded education.

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Opportunities to acquire leadership skills through hands-on experience.

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Greek students are more active on campus and in community activities

LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS Fraternity and Sorority Life gives students the opportunity to develop friendships that persist through their time at UNO and into their future.

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Friendships formed through Fraternity and Sorority Life create a support group to help ease the adjustment to college.

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Fraternity and Sorority Life provides encouragement to get involved, stay involved and maximize their potential on campus.

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Greeks have national networks for its members that are helpful in finding jobs or internships. Wherever a member ends up after college, chances are high that he/she will be able to find an alumni chapter or other members of their fraternity or sorority in the area.

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BENEFITS OF JOINING

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COMMITMENT TO PHILANTHROPY AND SERVICE The fraternity and sorority community at UNO prides itself on the dedicated service it provides to the community.

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Each chapter on campus holds a fundraiser every year to raise money for local and national causes.

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The fraternity and sorority community also participates in service events on and off campus. Active participation in community service has been facilitated by Fraternity and Sorority Life’s recent collaboration with the Community Engagement Center on campus.

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Fraternity and Sorority Life members work with local organizations to develop and serve on charitable projects.

In 2015 UNO Fraternity Sorority Life raised over $100,000 •

Greek alumni give both more money and more frequently to their alma mater than non-Greek alumni.

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Upon graduation, Greek members are more likely to get involved in volunteer and charitable organizations.

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BENEFITS OF JOINING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT Historically, Greek-letter organizations were founded on the principles of academic success and camaraderie. Today is no different.

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Our members realize that academic achievement is the main priority of UNO students. Greek-letter organizations continue to strive for academic excellence and promote scholarship by providing academic resources for their members including tutors, academic advisors, study groups, scholarships, and awards.

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Chapter members know the importance of helping new students to adjust to university academics. Many chapters have a rewards system based on GPA. Prospective members must meet a minimum GPA in order to be initiated (currently a 2.50) and then must maintain a minimum GPA to remain an active member. In fact, Fraternity and Sorority Life members’ GPA(s) are traditionally higher than their non-Greek colleagues.

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Fraternity and Sorority Life’s leading focus is on academic achievement. UNO proudly recognizes the all fraternity and all sorority GPA is consistently above the all female and all male GPA.

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Greek students are more likely to stay in college than non-Greek students.

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College graduates who belong to a sorority or fraternity tend to be more financially successful than other college graduates.

Fall 2014 All UNO Student GPA: 2.92 All Female Student GPA: 3.01 All Male Student GPA: 2.83

All Greek GPA: 3.14 All Greek Female GPA: 3.22 All Greek Male GPA: 3.10

Spring 2015 All UNO Student GPA: 2.97 All Female Student GPA: 3.06 All Male Student GPA: 2.89

All Greek Student GPA: 3.23 All Greek Female GPA: 3.27 All Greek Male GPA: 3.18

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GLOSSARY

Unfamiliar with our Fraternity and Sorority Life lingo?

Here's a few of our most commonly used terms.

Active

Formal Recruitment

A college undergraduate who has been initiated into fraternity or sorority membership and is active at the collegiate level.

A period of time during which chapters select their new members through a formal, structured process.

Alumni/Alumnae

The name that applies to all Greek letter organizations characterized by a ritual, pin, and strong ties to friendship and moral principles.

Informally, women’s fraternities are called sororities.

Initiated fraternity or sorority members who have graduated from college.

Bid (card) A formal invitation to join a Greek organization.

Big Brother/Big Sister An initiated member of an organization paired with an uninitiated member to help them through the member education period. Often referred to as a ‘Big.’

Brother A term used by fraternity members to refer to one another.

Chapter A local group of the larger inter/national organization.

Dry Alcohol-free and substancefree events. Recruitment and new member periods are dry by inter/national standards.

Fraternity

Fraternity and Sorority Life Any member of a Greek-letter social or community service organization.

No longer referred to as “Greek Life.”

Hazing In accordance with UNO’s Student Code of Conduct, hazing is defined as any activity by which a person intentionally or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health or safety of an individual for the purpose of initiation into, admission into, affiliation with, or continued membership with any student organization. UNO has a zero-tolerance hazing policy,and any individuals or organizations found in violation of this policy will face University disciplinary proceedings accordingly.

Informal Recruitment A continuous, open recruitment period for organizations with less structure.

Initiation The formal ceremony that marks the beginning of active membership.

Intake Process by which Multicultural Greek Council and National Pan-Hellenic Council members are selected to become new members of an organization. Generally includes an application and an interview process, followed by an educational program.

Interfraternity Council (IFC) The governing council for men’s fraternities.

Legacy The brother or sister, son or daughter, or grandson or granddaughter of a fraternity or sorority member.

Line The members of an Multicultural Greek Council or National Pan-Hellenic Council new member class.

Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) The governing council for Asian, Latina/Latino, and Multicultural organizations, for both men and women.

National/International Greek organization with many chapters, which have a single governing body. Chapters belonging to national organizations generally have chapter letters, as well as national letters.

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) The governing council for historically African American organizations, for both men and women.

New Member Someone who has accepted a bid to join a Greek organization but has not yet been initiated.

New Member Period The time between the acceptance of a bid and initiation. Chapters generally take this time to educate their new members in the organization’s history and traditions. Pledging is an older term still in use by some organizations.

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GLOSSARY (cont'd) North-American Interfraternity Confrence (NIC) The governing body of up to 65 member organizations and of Interfraternity Councils on college campuses. Some member organizations are also members of NPHC and NALFO.

Panhellenic Council (PHC) The governing council for National Panhellenic Council (NPC) sororities.

Philanthropy A charitable fundraiser or service project sponsored by a fraternity or sorority.

Pledge A term some organizations use to mean new member.

Potential New Member (PNM) A college woman who participates in PHC recruitment.

Recruitment A series of events offering members and potential members the opportunity to get to know each other.

Ritual The traditional beliefs and oaths of a sorority or fraternity usually used in reference to the Ceremonies of Initiation as well as weekly chapter meetings.

Rush An older term for recruitment that is no longer used.

Replaced with recruitment.

Sister A term used by sorority members to refer to one another.

Social A get-together with another group for a party, dinner, or another fun occasion.

Probate

Sorority

Official public reveal/display of new initiates in the form of a step/ dance, typically held by MGC and NPHC organizations.

A Greek letter organization, which admits only women. The term did not come into common use until later in the 20th century.

GREEK ALPHABET

Learning the Greek alphabet can be very beneficial for parents and students who are new to Fraternity and Sorority Life.

There are 18 chapters represented at UNO, and chapter names may be represented by two, three, even four Greek letters. Α

Alpha (al-fah)

Ν Nu (new)

Β

Beta (bay-tah)

Ξ Xi (zzEye)

Γ

Gamma (gam-ah)

Ο Omicron (ohm-eye-cron)

Δ

Delta (del-ta)

Π Pi (pie)

Ε

Epsilon (ep-si-lawn)

Ρ Rho (row)

Ζ

Zeta (zay-tah)

Σ Sigma (sig-ma)

Η Eta (ay-tah) Θ Theta (thay-tah)

Τ

Tau (taw)

Υ

Upsilon (opp-si-lawn)

Φ Phi (fye)

Ι

Iota (ee-o-tah)

Κ

Kappa (cap-ah)

Ψ Psi (sigh)

Λ

Lambda (lamb-dah)

Ω Omega (oh-may-gah)

Χ Chi (kEye)

Μ Mu (mew)

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CHAPTERS AND COUNCILS NATIONAL PAN-HELLENIC COUNCIL, INC. The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), founded in 1930, is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. At UNO, five of these organizations are currently represented.

Alpha Kappa Alpha

Kappa Alpha Psi

Founders Day: January 15, 1908 Symbol: Ivy Leaf Colors: Salmon Pink and Apple Greek Flower: Tea Rose

Founders Day: January 5, 1911 Symbol: Kappa Diamond Colors: Crimson and Cream Flower: Red Carnation

Alpha Phi Alpha (inactive)

Phi Beta Sigma

Founders Day: December 4, 1906 Symbol: Sphinx Colors: Black and Old Gold Flower: Yellow Rose

Founders Day: January 9, 1914 Symbol: Dove Colors: Royal Blue and Pure White Flower: White Carnation

Delta Sigma Theta

Omega Psi Phi (inactive)

Founders Day: January 13, 1913 Symbol: Fortitude Colors: Crimson and Cream Flower: African Violet

Founders Day: November 17, 1911 Symbol: Lamp Colors: Royal Purple and Old Gold Flower: African Violet

Zeta Phi Beta Founders Day: January 16, 1920 Symbol: Dove Colors: Royal Blue and Pure White Flower: White Rose

Recruitment NPHC participates in membership intake at various times throughout the year at the discretion of each organization. Participants must have completed one year (24 credit hours) to establish an academic standing to participate.

NATIONAL MULTICULTURAL GREEK COUNCIL The National Multicultural Greek Council (NMGC), founded in 1998, is a collaborative organization for Multicultural Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. There are twelve in total. At UNO, three of these organizations are currently represented.

Lambda Theta Nu Founders Day: March 11, 1986 Symbol: Rose Colors: Silver, Burgundy, and White Flower: Rose

Sigma Lambda Beta Founders Day: April 4, 1986 Symbol: White Stallion Mustang and Skeleton Key Colors: Royal Purple and Pure White Flower: Red Carnation

Sigma Lambda Gamma Founders Day: April 9, 1990 Symbol: Purple Panther Colors: Shocking Pink and Majestic Purple Flower: Pink Rose

Recruitment NMGC participates in membership intake at various times throughout the year at the discretion of each organization.

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CHAPTERS AND COUNCILS NATIONAL PANHELLENIC COUNCIL The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 (inter)national women’s sororities. At UNO, four of these organizations are currently represented.

Alpha Xi Delta

Sigma Kappa

Founders Day: April 17, 1893 Symbol: Quill and Bear Colors: Double Blue and Gold Flower: Pink Rose Philanthropy: Autism Speaks

Founders Day: November 9, 1874 Symbol: Dove and Heart Colors: Lavender and Maroon Flower: Violet Philanthropy: S.I.G.M.A

Zeta Tau Alpha

Chi Omega

Founders Day: October 15, 1895 Symbol: Crown and Strawberry Colors: Steel Gray and Turquoise Blue Flower: White Violet Philanthropy: Breast Cancer Awareness

Founders Day: April 5, 1895 Symbol: Owl, Skull and Crossbones Colors: Cardinal and Straw Flower: White Carnation Philanthropy: Make-A-Wish Foundation

Recruitment NPC participates in formal recruitment prior to the beginning of the fall semester each year. Formal recruitment allows potential new members to explore the full range of student organizations and activities before joining

NORTH-AMERICAN INTERFRATERNITY CONFERENCE The North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), founded in 1909, is an umbrella organization for over 75 inter(national) men’s fraternities. At UNO, four of these organizations are currently represented.

Theta Chi

Pi Kappa Alpha

Founders Day: April 10, 1856 Symbol: Rattlesnake Colors: Military Red and White Flower: Red Carnation Philanthropy: The Kyle Charvat Foundation

Founders Day: March 1, 1868 Symbol: Shield and Diamond Colors: Garnet and Old Gold Flower: Lily of the Valley Philanthropy: Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America

Lambda Chi Alpha

Sigma Phi Epsilon

Founders Day: November 2, 1909 Symbol: Cross and Crescent Colors: Purple, Green, and Gold Flower: White Rose Philanthropy: Feeding America

Founders Day: November 1, 1901 Symbol: Skull and Crossbones within a Black Heart Colors: Violet and Dark Red Rose Flower: Dark Red Rose Philanthropy: Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America

Recruitment NIC participates in open recruitment. Throughout the calendar year, potential new members will have the opportunity to meet and interact with fraternity members before committing to a chapter.

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GET INVOLVED WHAT TO EXPECT

Like some opportunities for involvement in college, there is a financial commitment associated with joining a fraternity or sorority. The costs go toward the Inter/National fees, chapter operating expenses, and social functions.

Financial obligations differ among individual chapters, as well as living in or out of a chapter house. New members can expect to pay higher dues their first semester than in subsequent ones. While participating in the recruitment process, make sure you ask about the financial obligations of membership.

Being a Fraternity and Sorority Life member can be a substantial time commitment. The time commitment is what you make of it. Some students put all of their time into their fraternity/sorority, while others divide their time between their chapter and experiencing other things on campus. There are some required events, but you can always choose which events you want to be a part of. And remember, scholarship is one of the shared values of all fraternities and sororities, so activities will not take away from the student’s academic career, as long as the student plans ahead. Fraternity and Sorority Life students learn quickly how to manage their busy schedules, which will help them scholastically, as well as after graduation as they move into the workforce.

RECRUITMENT

The FSL community at UNO is made up of hundreds of diverse students from unique chapters representing four national councils. Each council has a unique recruitment process.

LEARN MORE

For more information or to register, visit fsl.unomaha.edu.

Fraternity and Sorority Life | fsl.unomaha.edu | 402.554.2931

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