Ninety percent of the University's 5,600. employees in faculty and other positions joined the federal social security program Monday.

Becoming part of the Social Security system became possible in August when Congress opened the Social Security Act to educational and other non-profit institutions.

The Corporation decided in April, when the resolution to amend the Act first came before Congress, that it would give its employees the option of entering the program.

Membership in the federal program, Personnel Director John Teele said, will make even better the University retirement system which he called "more advantageous for the individual than the majority of industrial plans."

Teele's office thoroughly informed all members of the University's working staff about their option this fall as soon as the resolution became law. Student part-time workers are specifically excluded by the act. The original act established in 1937, excluded farm workers, domestic servants, and other specialized workers, as well as employees of non-profit organizations, from benefits of the act.

Non-signers to the plan have until the end of April to decide whether or not they want to be included in the plan, New employees will be covered automatically.

Enrollment in the plan will mean one and a half percent deductions regularly from University employees' paychecks.