Both sororities and fraternities hold a weekly meeting to discuss topics relevant to the organization. The meeting is usually one or two hours long. Attendance at chapter is required of all sorority members and officers. Topics of discussion may include reviews of sorority policies or preparation for the recruitment of new members. Chapter is also used to facilitate the planning of upcoming social activities with other Greek organizations or the college campus as a whole.
The building owned or rented by the campus branch of the sorority is referred to as the chapter house or simply, chapter. These houses vary widely in size and function in accordance with a number of factors, including housing availability, campus policies and sorority budgets. University policies may also influence whether the chapter house is located on or off-campus. Large chapter houses may provide housing for nearly all sorority members. Small or medium-sized houses may offer meals and housing assigned by lottery or member seniority.
Some collegiate sororities are part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, an independent, nonprofit governing body. These sororities are able to issue charters or new chapters at college campuses in the United States, Canada and worldwide. Individual chapters of sororities are responsible for upholding the policies and procedures of the national organization. Chapters may send representatives to annual or semiannual national conventions to increase communication between the chapter and national organization.
To aid identification of each chapter, national organizations designate an name for each charter group of the sorority. The names of the chapters are never duplicated, and are comprised of a grouping of two or three Greek letters. The chapter is still referred to by the name of its national organization, however, in internal dealings and when meeting with chapters of the sorority from other campuses, it will be referred to by the campus-specific name for ease in communication.