Greek organizations use phrases and words to describe various aspects of Greek life. Below is a sample of the terminology with definitions, used by members of Greek Organizations
Membership Terms
| Active Member | A fully initiated member of a fraternity/sorority with full chapter privileges and responsibilities. |
| Alumni Member | A graduated Greek member from the University of La Verne, or other campus. |
| New Member (informal: pledge) | A student who has accepted a bid from a fraternity/sorority. After a period of education, new members may be initiated. This period is referred to as pledging, associate or new membership education depending on the fraternity/sorority. |
| Potential member | A person interested in becoming a member of a fraternity/sorority. |
Rush Terms
| Bid | Official invitation to join a fraternity/sorority. |
| Chapter | Local group which represents a segment of a local or national organization. |
| Faculty Advisor | A full-time University faculty member that assists the organization with issues related to the university. |
| Initiation | The tradition ritual that brings a new member into active membership of a fraternity or sorority. |
| Legacy | A potential new member whose family member is already a member of that fraternity/sorority. |
| National | Fraternity/Sorority with chapters located at various Colleges/Universities across the nation. |
| Recruitment/Rush | The period at the beginning of the semester during which fraternity and sorority members meet potential new members and acquire new members through the Bid process. |
| Ritual | The traditional beliefs of a fraternity or sorority. |
| Sigma Rho Chi | Sorority Recruitment Counselors who are available to answer questions a potential member may have about recruitment. These women have temporarily disaffiliated from her chapter to provide objective advice and support to potential new members. |
Organization Terms
| Big Brother/Sister | An active member chosen to assist and advise a new member. |
| Brother | A term used by initiated members of a fraternity when referring to one another. |
| College Panhellenic Association (CPA) |
The representative body governing sororities at the University of La Verne. |
| Exchange | A closed social gathering between one or more fraternities or sororities. |
| Fraternity | A Greek organization for men. |
| Greek Advisor | A full-time University of La Verne staff member who oversees all the programs included within Greek life. |
| Greek Week | A friendly competition each spring between recognized Greek organization at ULV. Past events have included: Fundraising Penny War, Greek Olympics, Letters Display, Greek Jeopardy and Lip Sync competition. |
| Interfraternity Council (IFC) |
The representative body governing fraternities at the University of La Verne. |
| National Pan-Hellenic Council | The campus coordinating body of historically African-American fraternities and sororities. |
| Order of Omega | The national Greek leadership honor organization. |
| Pin | The active pin or badge, worn on the chest designating an active member of a fraternity/sorority. |
| Philanthropy | Community service programs or events sponsored by Greek organizations. |
| Sister | A term used by initiated members of a sorority when referring to one another. |
| Sorority | A Greek organization for women. |