Leadership 

Greek Life offers unique opportunities for hands-on leadership experience. Serving as a chapter officer, event planner, team captain, committee chair or recruitment coordinator,  will help you gain valuable leadership skills. 

Scholarship 

Academics are a top priority for SEMO Greeks. Each chapter is required to maintain a 2.75 average GPA. Chapters also compete each semester to earn the highest GPA among Greeks. As a member, you will have access to tutoring, study hours, and other special programs. 

Philanthropy and Community Service 

From food drives to fundraisers, SEMO Greeks are constantly taking part in philanthropy and community service projects. Many sororities and fraternities devote an entire week each year to hosting special events that raise funds for a specific charity. 

Brotherhood/Sisterhood 

Brotherhood or sisterhood is the primary benefit offered by participation in the Greek community; unfortunately, it is the hardest to explain. The idea of brotherhood or sisterhood refers to the lifelong friendships developed through the unique Greek process tradition dating back over 200 years. Most Greek members will attest that their fraternal experience helped them develop friendships much deeper than those formed outside their fraternity or sorority. In the Greek community, members are not fraternity brothers or sorority sisters in name only; rather, they literally feel a mutual fraternal connection. 

Fees 

Initiation and chapter dues vary per chapter. The expected financial obligations to join and remain active in the organization will be explained by the chapter prior to receiving an invitation into the organization. One hundred percent of the fees associated with joining and remaining active in the organization stay with the organization.  The University does not get involved in negotiating or assisting with finances.  Students will not receive charges on their University student accounts related to the fees. 

Fines 

Chapters reserve the right to fine members as outlined in their chapter constitution and by-laws. Review the constitution and by-laws of the organization to always be knowledgeable about what would generate a fine. The Office of Greek Life and the University typically does not get involved with organization and member disputes over fines. One hundred percent of fines stay with the organization, and the University will receive no portion of the amount.   

Terminology 

Active - a fully initiated member in a fraternity or sorority. 
Alumnus - an initiated member of a fraternity or sorority who is no longer in college. 
Associate - a non-initiated member in a fraternity or sorority who employs the associate member program. 
Badge - The badge of an initiated member is received during the initiation ceremony and worn in a designated location. 
Bid - an invitation to join a fraternity or sorority. 
Brother - a term used by fraternity members when referring to each other. 
Chapter - refers to an individual fraternity or sorority. 
Fraternity - a Greek organization for men. 
Function - a social gathering for two or more fraternities or sororities. 
Greek - a member of a fraternity or sorority. 
Initiation - the traditional ritual that brings a new member to full membership. 
Inter-/ national - a term referring to the central office of a given fraternity or sorority. 
Interfraternity Council (IFC) - the coordinating body of fraternities. 
Legacy - a rushee of a fraternity/sorority who is a son/daughter, brother/sister, or grandson/granddaughter of a member of a Greek organization. 
National Interfraternity Conference (NIC) - a conference composed of 62 member fraternities. 
National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) - a conference composed of 26 member women's fraternities. 
National Pan-Hellenic Conference (NPHC) - a conference of nine historically Black member men's and women's fraternities and the coordinating body of the historically Black Greek-letter organizations at SEMO. 
Order of Omega - honor society reserved for fraternity members who are juniors and seniors who are initiated members of a fraternity or sorority and have attained a high standard of leadership and scholarship within the fraternity and sorority community. 
Panhellenic Council (PHC) - the coordinating body of sororities. 
Potential New Member - a person interested in being a member of a chapter. 
REC - a written recommendation for a rushee from an alumna(e) of a sorority. 
Recruitment - the activity by which chapters seek new members. 
Ritual - the traditional, secret ceremonies of a fraternity or sorority. 
Sister - a term used by sorority members when referring to each other. 
Sorority - a Greek organization for women.

Greek Letters