Frequently Asked Questions
If this page does not answer your questions regarding our organization, Greek life, or any other general inquiries, please feel free to reach out to us via our Contact page. A member of our national team will respond as soon as possible.
what is a greek organization?
A Greek organization is a group of individuals with similar interests that are bonded together by common goals and aspirations. It is referred to as a Greek organization because the name of the organization consists of Greek letters.
How much does it cost?
Both the chapter (on the local level) and the national office collect dues and membership fees from every member. Most groups have a one-time new member and initiation fee plus reoccurring dues on a semester-by-semester basis. The majority of the dues collected is used to pay for national insurance, while the remainder is to cover operating expenses.
Do Greek organizations take up a lot of time?
Fraternity/sorority membership requires anywhere from 2 to 9 hours a week of commitment. Whether the time is spent participating in community service projects, planning events, or attending regular weekly meetings, members will learn to manage their time wisely - especially if they are involved with other commitments. Many of our members are students who have made their respective Dean's lists/honor rolls, work multiple jobs/internships, and balance time to be with other friends. We believe these skills are sharpened through membership in our organization and have positively impacted our members' lives beyond their undergraduate careers.
How will joining Sigma Psi Zeta affect my GPA?
We make academic success a priority for our members. We monitor GPAs both nationally and locally to ensure that members focus on their main goal of pursuing higher education: to learn. We have many members that consistently make their university's Dean's lists/honor rolls and whom also obtain their highest GPAs as members of Sigma Psi Zeta.
Does Sigma Psi Zeta haze?
No. Sigma Psi Zeta has a strict non-hazing policy and hazing would also be in violation of many university policies. Our organization's national philanthropy is to combat violence against women and hazing would directly contradict this effort.
Terminology
We know terminology can be confusing. Here is a list of terminology we recently updated to better suit our organization's beliefs.
Rush -> Recruitment
Membership recruitment is the time when Greek organizations recruit and select new members. This generally consists of a 1-2 week period of scheduled events, usually held at the beginning of the fall/spring semesters and fall/winter/spring quarters. These events provide an opportunity for potential members to learn more about each Greek organization, to get to know its members, and to fully evaluate joining Greek life.
Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority, Inc. does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation in any of its activities or operations, including recruitment. Membership is open to all women and non-binary individuals who reflect our values and carry a passion to advocate for the causes we hold dear.
While other organizations may call this "rush", our organization chooses to use the term "recruitment" because the term "rush" was associated with hazing (1). "Rush" referred to when Panhellenic sororities were rushed, pledged, and moved to sorority houses immediately (2).
Pledge -> New Member/ Intake
A New Member or Intake is an individual going through the New Member Process. Our New Member Education Process is called the Sunrise Program, a values-based new member education program designed to provide new members with the skills, wisdom, and perspective to be a leader within their community. The program is 6 weeks long, broken down into 3 phases and 6 weekly class sessions.
You may hear other organizations use the terms "pledge" or "pledging"; our organization uses the terms "new member", "intake", "new member education process", "new member process", and "intake program" as the term "pledge" was associated with hazing (1). Other NPHC, IFC, and NPC orgs eliminated the term pledging and replaced with “membership intake process” / “new member process” after deaths and injuries (1, 3, 4).
Colony -> Inactive Membership
An Inactive Membership of Sigma Psi Zeta refers to a membership of Sigma Psi Zeta that no longer has any active undergraduate members.
Other organizations may use the term "colony" to describe inactive or newly established memberships. Our organization uses the term "inactive membership" and "charter", respectively, rather than "colony". “Colony” has negative references to colonialism and colonial imperialism (5). We believe that having a term referring to unjust occupation and control goes against our organization’s values.
References