St. Cloud State University

Fraternities & Sororities are Living & Learning Communities where you will develop:

• Character and ethical Development: Fraternities & Sororities are Values Based Organizations. Membership in a Fraternity/Sorority entails committment to the principles & values of that organization,and you will strive to develop and support them. It's an 'ongoing" journey that supplements exploration of your own values and ongoing Identity development. Your peers and supportive advisors will continually challenge you and themselves to develop congruency our actions, attitudes, and behaviors. Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits.
  Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
• Intellectual Development: You experiences in this type of learning community will challenge you cognitively and place you in experiences where you will have to utilze critical thinking, creative tools, and engage you in change management. Academic & Scholarship are a #1 Priority. If you cannot succeed in college, you cannot be that which we strive as Fraternity & Sorority members! You have the peer support, incentive programming and advisory support to help you develop your time management, study skills, accountability, and positive reinforcement to succeed academcially.
• Leadership Development: Fraternities & Sororities offer you a "leadership learning laboratory" to engage you in the leadership 'process" and develop your leadership competenices. Each Fraternity/Sorority, and their Governing councils offer opportunities to experience positional leadership, leadership skills development, and facilitate your Leadership Identitiy Development.
• Intrapersonal Development: Particiation in this type of group experience will develop your Communication and Conflict Management skills. You will work in Groups and have to navigate the ups and downs of group dynamics and expose you to working with diverse types of people. Working in groups and challenging yourself to explore the diversity of individuals while coming together in committing to your organizations values. A 'real group exploration experience".
• Philanthropy & Service: Fraternities & Sororities engage in Philanthropy & Service in an ongoing manner. You will be part of organizing and participating philanthropic and social activities that engage you in good citizenship principles and orient you to leadership in the global community through speicific causes, needs and awareness initiatives. Each SCSU Fraternity/Sorority sponsors International Causes and Advocacies. This includes volunteering service to community needs and finding a 'deep" understaning of how this fits into their experiences and values for their lifetime.

SCSU Fraternities participate as well as organize "Into the Streets" each year as part of SCSU's 1st Year Student Orientation Program. This is a introduction to all new students to involvement and service to the community.

• Nine Expectations of Membership in a Fraternity/Sorority Frequently Asked Questions If you receive an invitation through mutual selection from a fraternity/sorority and you accept, you become a new member/or associate member. This period is a time when new members learn about the fraternity/sorority ideals, history, and participate in the activities to orient you towards becoming a member. It is during this time you will receive his Mentor (an initiated member who serves as a guide and mentor) and bonds with the members of the fraternity/sorority. Initiation is the formal ceremony where you are brought into full membership as a member through exposing him to the fraternities/sororities ritual. This is an initiation ceremony where in-depth information about the organization presented. Terminology - List of commonly used Fraternity & Sorority terms Alumnus (singular) or Alumni (plural) - an initiated male member who is no longer an undergraduate. Alumna (singular) or Alumnae (plural) - an initiated female member who is no longer an undergraduate. Bid - An invitation to join a fraternity of sorority. Brother - The term used by active members in a fraternity when referring to each other. Chapter - The local collegiate membership of a inter/national fraternity or sorority. Continuous Open Bidding - A Panhellenic term, defined as the process whereby a chapter, not filling a "quota" or reaching "total" during formal recruitment, may continue to accept and recruit new members until spaces are filled. Fraternity - The name that applies to all Greek letter organizations characterized by a ritual, a pin and a strong tie of friendship.  Women's fraternities my also be called sororities Formal Recruitment - A period of structured membership selection coordinated by Panhellenic and IFC for member groups. Go Over/Cross Over- Initiation into a historically African-American fraternity or sorority. Greek - A member of a fraternity or sorority. Hazing - A negative form of conduct that focuses on mistreating, demeaning, or otherwise degrading the personal worth of another individual.  Hazing is prohibited by St. Cloud State University, by all inter/national fraternities, and is illegal in the State of Minnesota. IFC (Interfraternity Council) - The representative governing body of fraternities affiliated with the North American Interfraternity Conference. Initiated Member - Any member who has gone through the initiation ceremony to become a life-long member of a fraternity or sorority. Intake - A term used to describe the membership selection process for NPHC chapters. Legacy - A person whose parent, sibling or grandparent is an initiated member of a sorority or fraternity. Inter/National - A term referring to the central organization of a given fraternity or sorority. Associate Member - a student who has accepted an invitation for membership but has not yet been initiated. NIC (North American Interfraternity Conference) - A conference body of 64 nationally recognized men's social fraternities.  The local governing council of fraternities is referred to as IFC (Interfraternity Council). NPC (National Panhellenic Conference) - A conference body of 26 nationally recognized women's social fraternities.  The local governing council of women's sororities and fraternities is referred to as PHC (Panhellenic Council). NPHC (National Pan-Hellenic Conference) - A conference body of 5 nationally recognized fraternities and 4 nationally recognized women's sororities which are historically African-American.  SCSU currently does not have NPHC Chapters or a governing council, also called NPHC or Pan-Hellenic. General Information on Historically Black Fraternities and Sororities NALFO (National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations - A conference body established in 1998, NALFO has 24 member organizations from across the United States. NALFO is an umbrella council for Latino Greek Letter Organizations. SCSU currently does not have NALFA Chapters or a governing council at this time. If you're unsure which council is right for you, have a look at each of their webpages here. Open Recruitment - The membership selection process that occurs throughout the academic year, any time that formal recruitment is not scheduled.  Also known as COB or COR among Panhellenic chapters. Panhellenic - A Greek word meaning "All Greek."  It is also the common reference for the women's sororities and fraternities. Philanthropy - Charitable projects or donations sponsored by a fraternity or sorority Quota- A term used by Panhellenic chapters which specifies a number of new members each sorority can accept during formal recruitment. Recommendation - A letter written by an alumna/us to recommend a student for membership.  NPHC recommendations may also be written by university officials. Formal Recruitment - One of many activities by which an IFC fraternity or Panhellenic sorority seeks and selects new members. Ritual - The ceremony by which an organization brings those who have met initiation requirements into full membership.  The ritual expresses the founding principles upon which each organization was established and is to be used to determine the value of each activity the organization chooses to become involved in. Fraternities and sororities are "VALUES BASED" organizations. Sister - The term used by active members in a women's sorority when referring to each other. Soror -  The Greek term for "sister". Total- the maximum number of members allowed for each Panhellenic chapter on a particular campus.  St. Cloud State University Panhellenic total is currently 40.