Greek 101

What is a Greek organization?

A Greek organization is a group of individuals with similar interests bonded together by common goals and aspirations. These bonds are created through rituals in which all members participate. Rituals are based on common principals such as honor, leadership, friendship, and truth, just to name a few. Each group works to instill these ideals in their members through their everyday activities.

These organizations are referred to as "Greek" because their names consist of Greek letters that serve as a reminder of the group’s values. The term "fraternity" is a name generally applied to all Greek organizations, both male and female, but usually refer specifically to men’s groups while "sorority" refers to women’s Greek organizations.

Greek letter social organizations at American colleges and universities are commonly referred to as fraternities for male groups and sororities for female groups. Since the founding of the first college fraternity in 1776 and the first sorority in 1851, these organizations have thrived and multiplied into hundreds of national organizations while making a positive and tremendous impact on the service and social structure of higher education systems throughout the United States and Canada.