Greek Life

HOW DO I DETERMINE IF I WANT TO JOIN A FRATERNITY OR SORORITY? IF SO WHICH ONE WILL BE THE BEST FIT FOR ME?

If you believe that lifelong membership in an organization can enhance your educational experience by emphasizing intellectual, interpersonal, and social development, then Greek Life may be for you. All Greek organizations strive for the ideals of brotherhood/sisterhood, a sound education, campus and community service, school spirit, campus and community involvement and social interaction.

In determining the right organization for you, we encourage you to research not only the FAMU chapter but also the inter/national organization via their website and other available resources. Look at the motto, mission statement, founding ideals/principles and the philanthropic involvement of the organization to determine if this is the organization to which you can align your life.

HOW CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH ORGANIZATION?

The Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life encourages you to visit the national/international websites for more information about each organization. You may also find it helpful to visit the websites of our local chapters. You can access the local chapters by searching the organization's name on the clubs and organizations page iStrike. Also, follow their social media pages to stay updated on events and programs.

CAN I JOIN MORE THAN ONE FRATERNITY/SORORITY?

Students, if selected, may hold membership in 3 fraternities/sororities; 1 in each council (cannot join/hold membership in more than one (1) NPHC Organization). Be mindful that lifelong membership in a fraternity or sorority requires a considerable commitment of time, use of your talents, and finances to further the organization, its values, and programmatic initiatives. Sometimes this commitment is underestimated and can prove to be challenging when students obtain membership in more than one organization of any kind, especially a Greek organization. Students may not join more than 1 fraternity/sorority in the same year/intake period.

This rule does not pertain to membership in the Phi Beta Chapter of Order of Omega.

IS THERE A LIMIT TO HOW MANY NEW MEMBERS CAN BE INITIATED BY A CHAPTER PER INTAKE PERIOD?

Greek Organizations are permitted to have/initiate no more than fifty-five (55) new members per chapter participating in the membership intake process, as long as they are conducting intake on an annual basis. 

HOW MUCH TIME IS REQUIRED TO BE A MEMBER?

Participating in any meaningful activity always requires a significant investment of time to be successful and Greek Life is no different. Along with the ongoing training and development associated with being a member, there are some mandatory commitments for members of the organization that are set well in advance (i.e. weekly chapter meetings, campus/community service projects, program planning and participation, new member education and recruitment, etc.). Students that are active and consistently involved are usually the ones most satisfied with their decision to join a Greek organization. It is a proven fact that students who are involved are more invested in their institution and organization(s). These students are more likely to finish at the institution they started and graduate quicker or on time. Finding your balance between membership, academics, social and personal is key. Having good communication and sticking to a schedule is highly recommended.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP AND HOW LONG DOES MEMBERSHIP LAST?

The list of potential benefits is endless. Membership provides personal and professional development among many other benefits. Through membership, Greeks have the opportunity to be connected as a part of a local, regional, national or international organization and allow for advancement via leadership positions within the organization and/or the councils.

When joining these organizations, please consider that membership in a fraternity/sorority is a lifelong commitment. You aren’t “buying your friends” nor is it “something to do” while you are in college. After graduation, members often continue their involvement through local graduate or alumni/alumnae chapters serving as chapter advisor over a collegiate chapter, officer or committee chair, or in a regional/national office.

It is true that Greek letters often open doors, but it is still up to the person to seal the deal. Joining a Greek organization allows for increased socialization, travel opportunities and programming, and event planning. Membership allows its members to sharpen their current skills while honing new ones.

WHAT IS REQUIRED TO BE A MEMBER OF A FRATERNITY/SORORITY HERE AT FAMU?

See "How to Join" for more information.

IS THERE A COST ASSOCIATED WITH JOINING A FRATERNITY OR SORORITY?

There is a financial commitment associated with joining a fraternity or sorority. Most organizations' new member/initiation fees go toward inter/national dues, chapter operating expenses, initiation costs, and social functions; however, the amount of the financial obligation may differ among individual chapters.

Additional costs associated with membership include but are not limited to conference attendance, yearly dues, t-shirts, philanthropic initiatives, and support of other organizational programs. You will learn more about a specific organization’s costs during their official interest meeting. For a general sense of what is involved, visit their national website.

IS HAZING REQUIRED TO JOIN A FRATERNITY OR SORORITY?

NO, nor should it be! Fraternities and sororities were founded on strong moral, social, and academic principles. Hazing or any activity which subjects members to harassment, intimidation, physical exhaustion, or mental distress among other things is contrary to each organization’s founding principles. All chapters have a new member education program that is designed to teach new members the history, traditions, values, and expectations of their organization. Hazing has no place in these activities and the Efferson Student Union & Activities works closely with each local chapter and national organization to set/reinforce clear expectations for new member activities. This includes setting reasonable limits on time commitments, activities, and length of programs.

Here at FAMU, we require ALL students interested in seeking membership into not just a Greek organization but any Registered Student Organization (RSO) on campus to take two courses that specifically deal with hazing. 

Hazing is against the law, and the University has a zero-tolerance policy concerning such (FAMU Regulation 2.080). Rites and traditions vary from chapter to chapter; some are secret, but none should involve abuse of any kind. If you have any concerns that hazing may be occurring, please contact the Efferson Student Union & Activities Office, Coordinator of Fraternity & Sorority Life or the University Ombudsmen, and speak with a staff member. If you would like to anonymously report a hazing incident, you can contact University Police Department or visit the hazing reporting page at https://www.famu.edu/students/student-resources/hazing-prevention/index.php.

HOW WILL MY GRADES BE IMPACTED BY MEMBERSHIP?

The REAL reason you are on campus is to ultimately graduate and obtain a degree. Your academic success is a key component to fraternity and sorority life. All fraternities and sororities at FAMU place a high value on the academic success of their members.

A few ways that Greek organizations support the academics of their members is through minimum grade requirements for active member status, holding an office and being initiated into the chapter, as well as study halls and workshops on study habits and skills, test-taking, and time management.

WHEN CAN I JOIN? HOW OFTEN DOES INTAKE OCCUR HERE AT FAMU?

Membership Intake only occurs during the Spring semester of the academic year. However, not all Greek organizations participate in intake annually. Students who meet the GPA/Credit Hour/Enrollment requirements will be eligible for intake consideration.  

Organizations are required to host at least one (1) Informational or Meet the “Org” program each academic year to provide general information about the organization. If your fraternity/sorority of choice decides to accept new members, information regarding the formal interest/Rush meeting will be displayed on either the chapter's social media accounts, Office of Student Activities IG, iStrike, or the FSL IG. Only those organizations which have been approved to conduct new member activities will have their flyers approved and posted.

MY PARENTS DO NOT LIKE THE IDEA OF FRATERNITY AND SORORITY. HOW CAN I OFFER THEM REASSURANCE?

At some point, most of our chapter members also had to have “the talk” with their families. We encourage you to share the Student Activities Greek Life webpage with your guardian(s). If your parents have specific questions or concerns, we can help answer them. There are numerous undergraduate leaders, alumni, fraternity/sorority inter/national headquarters staff, University administrators and chapter advisors who are more than willing to share their insights and experiences. You can contact the Office of Student Activities with any questions at https://www.famu.edu/students/student-activities/index.php or via phone at 850-599-3400.

DO I HAVE TO DRESS A CERTAIN WAY TO ATTEND AN INFORMATIONAL OR INTEREST MEETING?

No! We encourage every student who aspires to obtain membership into a GLO to do their research. Many organizations have a "business professional" dress code when it comes to certain events, such their "formal interest/rush" meetings. 

ARE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ALLOWED TO JOIN GREEK ORGANIZATIONS?

Yes. Any student, regardless of nationality, is eligible to seek membership as long as they are able to meet the requirements set by the university and the organization.

CAN ORGANIZATIONS HAVE HIGHER STANDARDS/REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP THAN THOSE REQUIRED BY ESUA/UNIVERSITY? 

Yes. Several fraternities and sororities have higher academic requirements, such as gpa and community service hours. 

ARE CHAPTERS REQUIRED TO HAVE INTAKE/RECRUITMENT EACH SPRING? 

No. Chapters reserve the right to have or not have intake/rush/recruitment. Intake requests must be approved by the OFSL and the national/regional governing body of the chapter; however, in certain instances, the request may be retracted and there will be no participation intake/recruitment.

WHAT DOES THE NEW MEMBER EDUCATION PROCESS LOOK LIKE?

Each chapter approved for membership intake will submit a New Member Education Calendar program to ESUA. There is a six-week maximum period of calendar events and activities required for new members. The intake period lasts from the beginning of the new member period through initiation. This six-week period is inclusive of the interest meeting and new member presentation.

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RECOMMENDATION LETTERS?

• Recommendations serve as an introduction of the Potential New Member (PNM) to the A chapter;
• Each different organization requires a different number of recommendations from a specified person such as a current undergrad member, an active and financial alumni member, professor, employee, etc.;
• This information is normally obtained at the interest meeting;
• Most, if not all, organizations require recommendation letters to be on the official letterhead of the recommender;

For more information about recommendation letters, please see the link.

Back to top

ACTIVE An initiated member of a chapter who has not yet graduated.

ACTIVE MEMBER – an initiated, dues-paying member.

ALUMNI/ALUMNAE: Initiated fraternity or sorority members who have graduated from college. Many serve as chapter advisors and mentors or come back and support the community during Homecoming, Friends and Family Weekend, and Greek Week.

BID A formal invitation of membership to a fraternity or sorority.

BID DAY A day or evening hosted by each council where formal invitations of membership are distributed to potential new members.

BIG/LITTLE Pairings of mentors (initiated members) with mentees (new members) in a fraternity or sorority.

FSL – Fraternity & Sorority Life

FRATERNITY/SORORITY HOUSE/FACILITY – For the men, this is the house that some of the chapter members live in. Currently, three of five fraternities at FAMU have chapter houses.

DUES - The membership fees for joining a fraternity or sorority; generally covers chapter operations, events, activities, apparel, insurance, house/suite maintenance and more.

CALL/CHANT – Unique, 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 - The local branch of an inter/national organization. Each fraternity and sorority at FAMU are chapters of a larger inter/national organization.

CHARTERED –   Date when a specific chapter of an organization was founded on a specific campus/institution.

CROSS/CROSSING/CROSSED * – a term used to describe the point of the intake process when initiates officially become members.

DEFUNCT - Defunct organizations are those which have failed to submit the annual student organization registration for a full academic year.

DIVINE NINE- The Divine Nine refers to the nine (9) organizations that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council or NPHC. These organizations are historically African American and seek to increase community awareness and action through education, economic, and cultural service activities.

GOOD STANDING - Organizations in good standing are those that have met the criteria for recognition on FAMU’s campus and not under any alternative status due to being out of compliance with or in violation of policies, procedures and guidelines issued by the national/international headquarters, regional or state director, or the university (including but not limited to Office of Student Activities (OSA), Division of Student Affairs (DSA), or their respective governing council, etc.

GREEK AFFILIATED ORGANIZATION – Organizations whose recruitment process extends beyond the mandated time given for non-Greek RSOs.

GREEK ASSEMBLY – Informational style workshops or sessions where ALL interested/perspective/aspirant students considering going Greek are required to attend.  

GREEK WEEK - A week-long competition in the spring dedicated to fraternal values and celebrating the accomplishments of the Greek community.

HEADQUARTERS, EXECUTIVE OFFICE OR "NATIONALS" - A term referring to the central organization of a given fraternity or sorority. IFC The Interfraternity Council; governing body of the five men's fraternities, which is a part of the North-American Interfraternity Conference.

INITIATION The formal ceremony through which a new member becomes an active member of the chapter.

INACTIVE - It has been determined that the organization has become inactive due to various reasons that include but are not limited to a lack of membership, absentee leadership, absence of the advisor, member apathy, restructuring, etc.

INTAKE PREPARATORY SYMPOSIUM (IPS) - Intake Preparatory Symposium (IPS) is a one (1) session symposium for all current members whose organization is conducting intake for the current spring semester.

INTAKE – the official term used for the creation of new members. This term/process replaced the previous pledging process/activities for those interested in becoming members of Greek-letter organizations. The current guidelines and/or activities may include but are not limited to an informational or interest meeting, application process, interview, and a supervised educational process.

LEGACY – A legacy candidate is the son/daughter, grand/son or daughter, adopted son/daughter, stepson/daughter or legal ward* of an active or deceased member of an organization. Some organizations have additional definitions and guidelines of what constitutes a “Legacy.” Visit the official organization website for more information.

LINE NAME - The name given to an individual who is being initiated. Their line name describes them and/or relates to the Ship Name to differentiate the line from past and future members.

NALIA – Greek paraphernalia like shirts, license plates, jewelry, or anything with Greek letters on it (socks, keychains, lanyards, etc.).

NEOPHYTE (NEO) – a newly initiated member.

NEW MEMBER ACADEMY – A period of learning about fraternity and sorority life at FAMU after the intake has closed. You learn the history, values, mission, expectations and polices of FSL at FAMU. Core content will remain the same, but the approach and addition of other topics can be added.

NEW INITIATE/NEW MEMBER PRESENTATION – Official presentation of new members who were recently accepted into the organization, sometimes also called a “coming out” or revealing. This is the first time when newly initiated members of each fraternity/sorority are revealed to the rest of campus.

NEW MEMBER - Formerly referred to as a pledge, a new member is an uninitiated member of a fraternity or sorority.

ON THE YARD – pertaining to a fraternity/sorority’s active status on campus.

PHILANTHROPY – A non-profit organization that each Greek chapter at FAMU supports.

PLOT(S) – a physical representation of the Black Greek-letter community on the campus; they range in size and design and traditionally have consisted of a bench and landscaping representing the organization.

POTENTIAL NEW MEMBER (PNM) - A student who has not joined a fraternity or sorority yet; alternatively, a student going through the recruitment process.

PROBATE/PROBATE SHOW* - 

PROBATION - Organizations under probationary status are those who have either fallen out of compliance with the university or their national/international or regional/state office and are currently active but under restrictive sanctions. At FAMU, probationary status is outlined as either Social Probation or Disciplinary Probation.

PROPHYTE – a member who has experienced at least one intake process other than their own as a member of a Greek organization.

RECRUITMENT - A period of time during which bids are extended to PNMs. This can occur in the fall or occasionally in the spring.

REINSTATEMENT –

RSO – Registered Student Organization

RITUAL - A sacred or inspirational ceremony used to inspire and educate members about the values of the organization.

RUSH – an organization’s formal interest meeting (not all organizations use this term).

SANDS – A word used to acknowledge members of other Greek-letter organizations or chapters who were initiated (crossed) during the same semester and year.

STEPPING/STEP –

STEP SHOW –

STROLL – an informal form of stepping also known as party hopping.

SUSPENDED - Suspended organizations are described as those which have been removed from all campus activities and recognition for a set period of time or indefinitely. The length of time of a suspension is determined and conveyed during the adjudication process. Suspension terms will depend upon the organization's violations. Once an organization's suspension period has ended, the organization may choose to submit a letter requesting reinstatement (if eligible).

TRANSFER STUDENT – Is a student who has attended a college, university or junior college during a fall or spring semester AFTER high school graduation. If the only college work completed is dual credit or advanced placement hours, they are NOT considered a transfer student. In order to join during their first semester, a transfer student must have completed a minimum of 15 FAMU hours (does NOT include dual credit or advanced placement) with a GPA of 2.5. Grades are NOT rounded up in determining eligibility.

*Words marked with an asterisk (*) are phrases that are no longer associated with the membership intake process.

Back to top

• At HBCUs, Students Go Greek Or Go Home

• Hazing: FAMU vs FSU

• Conquering Colorism

• More than Just a Step Show

• Meet the Greeks, A Success

 

Back to top

Mr. Edward Kincheon Jr.
Assistant Director, Fraternity & Sorority Life & Volunteer Programs
P: (850) 599-3400 E: edward.kincheon@famu.edu | E: greeklife@famu.edu

Areas of Responsibility:

• Membership Intake & Recruiment 
• Fraternity & Sorority Advisement
• Fraternity & Sorority Councils (NPHC, CIO, PFC, MIC)
• Fraternity & Sorority Leadership Development
• Fraternity & Sorority Programming 
• Volunteerism & Service Projects

---

Vacant
Graduate Assistant - 
P: (850) 599-3400 | Dasys:        | E: greeklife@famu.edu

Areas of Responsibility:

• Order Of Omega
• FSL Standards & Awards Gala
• Day-to-Day Business Operations
• FSL Assessments and Surveys

---

Vacant
Data Entry and Office Staff Intern

Areas of Responsibility:

• Record Keeping & Data Entry
• Front Office Operations
• Report Tracking Survey
• Creation and Implementation

---

Vacant
Community Service & Philanthropy Intern

Areas of Responsibility:

• Service Opportunities 
• Service Hours Verification & Tracking 
  

---

Vacant
Leadership Development Intern

Areas of Responsibility:
• Leadership Workshops & Trainings 
• Conferences 
• Chapter Leadership Transition Assistance

---

Caiden C., & Rikhari L.
Program Assistant Intern

Areas of Responsibility:
• FSL Street Team Lead
• Social Media 
• FSL Community Programs 

---

Caiden C.,  Joshua D., Treyvon E., 
Media Moguls Photographer(s), Videography & Contributors 

Areas of Responsibility:

• FSL Street Team Member
• Social Media, Engament & Marketing 
• Event Photography 
• FSL/OSA Content (VIdeos, Photos, Trends & etc.)

---

 

Back to top