Fraternities and sororities (sometimes referred to as "women's fraternities") are a unique form of student organization at (primarily) North American colleges and universities. Most organizations have names which consist of two or three Greek letters which represent words or phrases outlining the organization's beliefs or history.

While the implementation of fraternities and sororities varies widely from campus to campus and region to region, each group is founded on the principles of lifelong friendship and other ennobling ideals such as scholarship, chivalry, public service, and religious ideals.

The Greek letter system began in 1776 with the founding of Phi Beta Kappa at the the College of William and Mary, now an open honorary society. The first general fraternity was Kappa Alpha Society founded at Union College in 1825. The inherent value of Greek organizations is demonstrated both by their long history and their continued popularity throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, the reader should obtain the most recent edition of Baird's Manual of College Fraternities.