All chapters will be recruting in fall. Here is a list of our Fall 2010 events, Please save these dates and times!

• Wed. Sept. 1 - PHC Mixer - Time: 6pm
• Wed. Sept. 8 - Sorority Recruitment Orientation - 6:00pm-8:45pm
• Fri. Sept. 10 - House Tours - 2:00pm-8:30pm
• Sat. Sept. 11 - Philanthropy Day - 10:00pm-4:00pm
• Sun. Sept. 12 - Preference Day - 4:00pm-6:45pm
• Mon. Sept. 13 - BID DAY!!! - 5:00pm

Please continue to check back here for more information or, for all recruitment questions, please contact our VP of Recruitment at phc.recruitment@yahoo.com

Family:  Sororities offer their members an extensive support system and home away from home.  The bonds of sisterhood truly do last a lifetime. 

Leadership:  There are leadership opportunities available for everyone!  Sororities have various types of positions, from executive positions, to directors and chairwomen.  Individual chapters, Panhellenic and the San Jose State Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life also offer leadership retreats and programming opportunities.  There is always a way to get involved and grow as a leader in a sorority.

Academics:  Sororities were first founded as academic societies.  Chapters recognize that all students’ first priority should be school and academics.  Sororities have special programming to ensure that all of their members are succeeding scholastically.  San Jose State and the SJSU Panhellenic Council require that in order to be eligible for membership recruitment, a potential new member must have a cumulative and previous semesters GPA of 2.5, some individual chapters may require a higher GPA.  As a Panhellenic Council, we are proud at the high standard of academics that our chapters maintain.

Service:  In addition to academics, sororities take pride in service.  All sororities have an organization that they raise money for.  Each semester, our Panhellenic community donates thousands of dollars, items, and hours of service to the community.  Furthermore, all sorority members fulfill community service hours within their local community.

Recruitment Counselors:

Recruitment Counselors, or Rho Chis, are alumni members of San Jose State’s Panhellenic sororities and serve as a guide for potential new members throughout recruitment weekend.  Recruitment counselors disaffiliate from their organizations and temporarily cut off contact with their respective chapters from the beginning of the summer until Bid Day.   It is the job of all Recruitment Counselors to be available to potential new members for any questions or address any concerns that they may have about sorority membership or the weekend in general.  Each potential member will be pared with a recruitment counselor during the weekend of recruitment.  All of our Rho Chi’s have been trained and are here to make every potential new members recruitment experience enjoyable. 

Active: An initiated member of a sorority (sometimes referred to as an “initiate”):

Alumna/Alumnae: An initiated member of a sorority who has received her undergraduate degree

Badge: The pin of an initiated member.

Bid: A formal invitation, of life-long membership, to join a fraternity or sorority

Big Sister: An initiated member of a sorority who is paired up with a new member.  A Big Sister helps her Lil Sis with the rest of her new member education, helps her Lil Sis prepare for initiation, and serves a mentor for all aspects of sorority life.

Chapter: A chartered group recognized by a national group, San Jose State has 5 Panhellenic chapters

Chapter Advisor: An alumna/alumnus who establishes and maintains a close advisory relationship with a chapter and serves as a teacher, counselor and friend.

Collegiate: An undergraduate member of a college chapter, San Jose State has 1 colony

Colony:  A new chapter, or a chapter returning to campus.  A colony is in the process of becoming a chapter and receiving a charter from a national organization.

Community Service:  Volunteer work done by members of sororities to support a cause

Inter-fraternity Council (IFC): The governing body of general interest, social fraternities at San Jose State (9 chapters and 2 colonies)

Founder: One who establishes a sorority

Greeks: A term applied to members of Greek lettered organizations

Hazing: Any act which endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a person, embarrasses, frightens, or degrades a person or which destroys or removes public/private property, for the purpose of initiation, admission into, or affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in an organization.  Hazing is prohibited by San Jose State University, the state of California, and all national member sororities of the National Panhellenic Conference.

House: A chapter’s living or meeting facility

Initiate: A member who has undergone the initiation ceremony of a sorority

Initiation: The process of becoming an active member of an organization

Legacy: A sister, daughter or granddaughter of an initiated member of a sorority

Lil Sis: A new member of an organization who is paired with a Big Sis, or initiated member of a sorority

Member: An initiated member of a sorority

National Panhellenic Conference (NPC): An umbrella organization founded in 1902 made up of 26 (inter)national sororities

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC): The governing body of nine historically black Greek-lettered fraternities and sororities, 4 fraternities and 1 sorority at San Jose State

New Member: A young woman preparing to become an initiated member of a sorority

New Member Class: A group of members within the same sorority, all of whom are initiated at the same time (i.e Fall 2007 New Member Class).

New Member Program: A time before initiation during which new members are educated about their fraternity or sorority, its history, values, and their responsibilities as members.

North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC): The governing body for 66 national and international men's fraternities.

Panhellenic Council (PHC): A representative governing body of all National Panhellenic Conference member sororities on San Jose State’s campus

Philanthropy: efforts made by sorority members to raise money for a cause.  Each national sorority has an organization that there chapters raise money for.  Each of San Jose State’s chapters hosts a philanthropy event annually

Pledging: The term used by Greek organizations for individuals who are on their way to becoming initiated members

Potential New Member: someone seeking membership in a Greek organization, must be a student and meet all GPA requirements

Recruitment: The mutual selection recruitment process which takes place every Fall semester.  Formal Recruitment is hosted by the Panhellenic Council.

Recruitment Counselor (Rho Chi): Alumnae members of PHC chapters who disaffiliate from their organizations for formal recruitment.  Recruitment Counselors assist potential new members through the recruitment process.

Ritual: Secret ceremonies celebrated and controlled by each chapter, ritual is sacred and performed the same way throughout the country and since the founding of each national organization.

Sister: An initiated member of a sorority/women's fraternity. It is used as a form of address when one initiated member is refers to another member.

Vice President of Recruitment/Membership: The person from each sorority or Panhellenic Council who is in charge of each chapter's recruitment functions.