How to Join
Read the Guide to Going Greek (below) for the specific details on joining the CSUMB Greek community. Please email greeklife@csumb.edu if you have additional questions. We look forward to you joining our CSUMB Greek community!
- Join our email list. Stay up-to-date with CSUMB greeks with monthly emails about upcoming events and important dates.
- Meet all the organizations. During the week of September 10 - September 14, each fraternity and sorority will table on the Main Quad from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. This is a great way to meet their members and get more information about their recruitment/intake events.
- Attend your favorite organizations' events. There is no minimum or maximum number of fraternity/sorority hosted events that you are required to attend. You can attend events hosted by one sorority or attend events hosted by all nine sororities. We highly encourage you to meet as many organizations as possible to ensure you find your best fit. If you can't attend an event, contact the chapter president to express your interest and request more information.
- Ask each organization about their requirements. Each fraternity and sorority has different requirements for joining their brother/sisterhood. They will inform you of these requirements during their events. These requirements usually include a GPA above a 2.5, minimum service hours, involvement on campus, and annual chapter dues.
- Complete the Greek Prospective New Member iLearn Course. In order to enroll in this course, please apply to join your favorite organization through Community, the student organization management software. Log into Community using your CSUMB username and password.
- Be your authentic self! Joining a fraternity or sorority is an important decision because these potential brothers/sisters will be your lifelong CSUMB family. If you don't feel a connection with one group, try another to ensure that the organization is right for you.
All prospective new members MUST complete this 30 minute iLearn course before they can begin the new member education process. Click on the button below to enroll. You must be a CSUMB student to have access to iLearn.
Beginning September 10 , 2018, each organization will host a series of recruitment events that are open and free to all CSUMB undergraduate students. View the Multicultural Greek Council Google Calendar (below) or email the chapter president directly for additional information.
- Active:
- An initiated member who is a college student
- Alumna:
- A sorority member who has graduated or left college (plural: alumnae)
- Alumnus:
- A fraternity member who has graduated or left college (plural: alumni)
- Associate:
- A non-initiated member in a fraternity or sorority
- Badge:
- The pin of an initiated member
- Bid:
- The pin of an initiated member
- Big
- Nickname for a big sister or brother, a mentor assigned to a new member as a mentor
- Call/Chant:
- A voal sound (sometimes high-pitched) used by members of culturally-based Greek organizations to acknowledge one another
- Candidate:
- A person who will potentially b
- Chapter:
- The local group of an international organization
- Colony:
- A newly organized group working to become a chartered chapter
- Dry Rush/Recruitment:
- The practice of not serving alcoholic beverages at any rush/recruitment function.
- Founders Day
- An event celebrated by fraternities and sororities to highlight the founding of their organization and celebrate its history
- Fraternity:
- The name that applies to male chapters and is characterized by a ritual, a pin, and a strong bond of friendship
- Hazing:
- Any act performed by a member of an organization that is likely to cause harm, danger, causes public embarrassment or shame, compromises a person's dignity, causes the person to be the object of ridicule, cause psychological harm, or is illegal. Hazing against the law in all states, and is against the principles of all sororities and fraternities.
- Inactive Member:
- A member who has elected to become inactive in a particular organization. They have no say or participation in chapter events.
- Informational:
- an informative meeting for interested potential new members to learn about the organization they wish to join
- Initiation:
- A formal ceremony during which an individual begins full membership in an organization
- Interest:
- A person who is interested in joining a fraternity or sorority, but has not started the new member education process
- Legacy:
- An interest whose grandparents, parents, and sibling is a member of a particular organization
- Line:
- The group of potential new members who are joining the same organization at the same time
- Little/Lil:
- Nickname for a Big's new member that they mentor
- North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC):
- The international organization composed of over 60 men's organizations
- National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO):
- The national organization for Latino organizations
- National Multicultural Greek Council (NMGC):
- The national organization for culturally-based organizations
- National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPCH):
- The international organization for all histrionically African-American organizations, also referred to as the Divine 9 or D9
- National Panhellenic Council (NPC):
- The international organization for 26 women's fraternities
- Membership Intake Process (MIB):
- The process by which NPHC members are selected to become new members of an organization
- Neophyte/Neo:
- New member of a culturally-based organization
- New Member Education Process:
- The time period in which candidates for potential new membership learn about the organization and participate in brotherhood/sisterhood activities
- Philanthropy:
- A charity or fundraiser that an organization supports, can be national and/or local
- Potential New Member:
- One who has been accepted as a probationary member of a sorority or fraternity but has not yet been initiated.
- Prophyte:
- An older member of a culturally-based organization
- Sands:
- A member of your new member class. Comes from the phrase "cross the burning sands" which means to cross over (become initiated) into full membership
- Soror:
- A member of your sorority
- Sorority:
- A Greek organization for women
- Step/Stepping:
- An important performance by NPHC organizations which includes synchronized hand and foot movements, singing, dancing, chanting, acting, and sharing organizational history
- Stroll/Strolling:
- Members of the same organization dance together in a line, performing moves unique to the history of that particular organization. To imitate the stroll or cut in between members is considered a sign of disrespect.
- TeeKee:
- A large necklace worn with large Greek letters on them, usually made out of wood
- Yard:
- A term used by culturally-based groups to indicate which groups are active on the campus
- Yard Show:
- A show were the active groups on campus gather to build unity and perform chants, strolls, and/or steps
We are very excited that your student is interested in joining CSUMB's Greek Community! This is an amazing opportunity for your student to get involved, develop leadership skills, and build a network of support. Stay tuned for more information. Please contact Kristen Vega (kvega@csumb.edu) for specific questions.