Admission

Application
Transfer of Credits
Transfer Guides for the Colorado Community College and Occupational Education System
Statewide Transfer Policy
Colorado Community/Junior College General Education Common Core
Transfer Agreements and Guides with Non-Colorado Colleges
Transferring from Fort Lewis College to Other Institutions
Transfer Inquiry/Appeals Process
Former Students
International Students
Unclassified Students
Concurrent Students
Colorado Basic Skills Assessment Policy
Residency Classification for Tuition Purposes
Admission Delay/Admission Withdrawal Process

APPLICATION

Application Deadlines
Freshmen Applicant Requirements
Recommended High School Coursework for Admission to Fort Lewis College
Fort Lewis College Admission Criteria
Transfer Applicant Requirements

Fort Lewis College adheres to the standards established by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE).

Students may apply for admission to Fort Lewis College any time after completion of their junior year of high school. An application should be submitted as early as possible.

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Application deadlines

Fall Trimester August 1
Winter Trimester December 1
First Summer Session April 1
Second Summer Session May 1
Third Summer Session June 1
*Application deadlines are subject to change.

Fort Lewis College applications can be obtained from the Admission Office, 970-247-7184, FAX 970-247-7179, www.fortlewis.edu, or admission@fortlewis.edu.

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Freshmen Applicant Requirements

High school students should submit the application, ACT/SAT Test Scores, official transcripts and a non-refundable application fee to the Admission Office.

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Recommended High School Coursework for Admission to Fort Lewis College

ACADEMIC AREA NUMBER OF UNITS
English (including Speech) 
4
Mathematics
4
Natural Science  
2
Social Science  
2
Modern Language  
Encouraged
Computer Science  
Encouraged
Academic Units 
11
Total Units
15 
These recommendations are based on four years of high school.
The work in English should emphasize both reading and writing. Past experience indicates that college freshmen are unprepared for the quantity of both expected of them.

College preparatory math should include algebra and geometry and, when a third year is taken, Algebra II.

An academic unit is a unit earned in English, modern language, mathematics, natural science, or social science.

A unit is accrued when a student takes a course five days a week for one academic year.

Students who have not graduated from high school but who have satisfactorily completed a GED program with a minimum score of 50 overall and no less than 40 in each subject area may be admitted as degree-pursuing students if appropriate ACT or SAT scores are attained.

Freshmen are individually advised and registered by the New Student Advising & Registration Office either on campus or by telephone. Generally, advising and registration for Summer sessions and the Fall trimester begins in March and advising and registration for the Winter trimester begins in October. All freshmen must be assessed for basic skills under the Colorado Basic Skills Policy (described in detail at the end of this section). All freshmen are required to attend an orientation session. Orientations for Summer are held the Sunday before the term begins; orientations for Fall are held during the Summer; and orientation for Winter is held Thursday and Friday before the term begins.

Admitted students will be mailed a guide to the advising, registration, and orientation process by the Admission Office. For more information, contact the New Student Advising & Registration Office at (970) 382-6985.

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Transfer Applicant Requirements

Transfer students should submit the application, official transcripts from each college attended and a non-refundable application fee to the Admission Office.

Transfer students who have earned fewer than 12 semester college credits should also have a high school transcript and ACT or SAT results forwarded to the Admission Office.

Applicants with a cumulative scholastic average of C and honorable separation from other accredited colleges and universities may be admitted at the beginning of any term. College course credits that fulfill the requirements for a degree program at Fort Lewis College ordinarily will be acceptable for transfer if grades are C- or better. A student with less than 30 semester credits may be reviewed on the high school record if deemed appropriate.

Transfer students are individually advised and registered by the New Student Advising & Registration Office either on campus or by telephone. Generally, advising and registration for Summer sessions and the Fall trimester begins in March and advising and registration for the Winter trimester begins in October. All transfer students must be assessed for basic skills under the Colorado Basic Skills Policy (described in detail at the end of this section). All transfer students are required to attend an orientation session. Orientations for Summer are held the Sunday before the term begins; orientations for Fall are held the week before school begins, and orientation for Winter is held Thursday and Friday before the term begins. Admitted students will be mailed a guide to the advising, registration, and orientation process by the Admissions Office. For more information, contact the New Student Advising & Registration Office at (970) 382-6985.

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TRANSFER OF CREDITS

For courses to transfer to Fort Lewis College from another collegiate institution, a regional accrediting association for colleges and universities such as the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools must accredit the transfer institution.

Regular academic courses completed with grades of “C-” or better are generally accepted in transfer to Fort Lewis College. Courses with grades of “D+” or lower will not transfer. Courses accepted in transfer become part of the credit hours completed and are not used in grade point average (GPA) calculations. The Fort Lewis College GPA is based on work completed at Fort Lewis College only. Credit will be allowed in transfer for academic pass/fail courses. Fort Lewis does not accept vocational, remedial, developmental, or English as a Second Language courses.

Transfer credits greater than 10 years old will not be automatically accepted. Approval will be required to obtain credits in the following areas for major, minor, or auxiliary requirements.

Lower-division credits are freshman- and sophomore-level credits (courses numbered 100 and 200, respectively, at Fort Lewis College). Upper-division credits are junior- and senior-level credits (courses numbered 300 or 400, respectively, at Fort Lewis College). Lower- and upper-division designation is based on the transfer institution’s lower- and upper-division designation. Course equivalency may be granted for a lower-division course from another college for an upper-division course at Fort Lewis College, but the course will not be given upper-division credit at Fort Lewis. Credits earned at a two-year college cannot be used to meet Fort Lewis College’s credit requirement in upper-division courses.

The maximum number of credits that may transfer to Fort Lewis College is 90. Within these 90 credits, the maximum number of credits that may transfer from an accredited community/junior college is 64.

The catalog in effect for graduation requirements for a transfer student is the catalog in effect when the student transfers to Fort Lewis College. The student then follows any subsequent policies governing graduation requirements and effective catalog or the catalog indicated by the Articulation Agreement.

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TRANSFER GUIDES FOR THE COLORADO COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM

Fort Lewis College has Transfer Guides for the Colorado Community College and Occupational Education System, which includes Aims Community College, Arapahoe Community College, Colorado Mountain College, Colorado Northwestern Community College, Community College of Aurora, Community College of Denver, Front Range Community College, Lamar Community College, Morgan Community College, Northeastern Junior College, Otero Junior college, Pikes Peak Community College, Pueblo Community College, Red Rocks Community College, and Trinidad State Junior College.

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STATEWIDE TRANSFER POLICY

Transfer of Associate of Arts and Associate of Science Degrees
Transfer of General Education
General Education Categories

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Transfer of Associate of Arts and Associate of Science Degrees

Fort Lewis College will honor the transfer of an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree and the Associate of Science (A.S.) degree earned at a Colorado public institution that offers A.A. or A.S. degrees. A student who completes the graduation requirements for an A.A. and/or A.S. degree program(s) at a Colorado public college, will transfer with junior standing into any arts and science degree program offered by a Colorado public four-year college provided that the student earns a “C” or better in each course. This includes the general education courses that are state guaranteed general education. The credits earned in the associate degree program will apply, at minimum, to 35 credit hours of lower division general education and 25 credit hours of elective additional graduation credits. Because all liberal arts and sciences degrees are designed to be completed in 120 credit hours, a transfer student with proper planning, can complete a four-year degree in the same time as a student attending only Fort Lewis College, 120 hours. Fort Lewis College will evaluate such credit for prior learning, Advanced Placement, and correspondence courses following its standard policy.

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Transfer of General Education

Colorado’s state guaranteed general education courses are designed to allow students to begin their general education courses at one Colorado public higher education institution and later transfer to another without loss of general education credits. That is, the state guaranteed general education may be applied to the general education graduation requirement or the graduation requirements of the declared major, whichever is in the student's best interest. Effective Fall 2003, Colorado policy ensures that students who successfully complete a state guaranteed general education course(s) will receive transfer credit(s) to be applied to graduation requirements in all majors at all public institutions unless a specific statewide articulation agreement exists.

The state's guaranteed general education is organized into 5 five categories: communication, mathematics, fine arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and physical and life sciences. The state general education policy guarantees transfer of 11 state approved general education courses limited to the number of semester credit hours allowed in each general education category (below). Students must earn a C- grade or better in each course.

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General Education Categories

Sem. Cr. Hr. General Education Categories
6
Communication:
1 Intro. Writing course (3 semester credits)
1 Intermediate Composition (3 semester credits)
3-5
Mathematics:
1 course (3 to 5 semester credits)
9
Humanities and Fine Arts:
Fine Arts and Expression
Humanities
Ways of Thinking
9
Social and Behavioral Sciences:
Select 1 History course
Select 2 courses from 2 different disciplines
8
Physical and Life Sciences:
Select 2 laboratory courses

All state guaranteed general education courses in communication, mathematics, arts and humanities, social and behavior sciences, and physical and life sciences shall be identified by a state-assigned common number.

When evaluating a transfer student's transcript, Fort Lewis College will apply state guaranteed general education credits to its general education graduation requirements. Additional general education coursework may be required.

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COLORADO COMMUNITY/JUNIOR COLLEGE
GENERAL EDUCATION COMMON CORE

Fort Lewis accepts the Colorado Community/Junior College General Education Common Core Curriculum for the general education requirements at Fort Lewis College if the student is a core completer from one of the Colorado two-year colleges under this articulation agreement. Specific transfer guides are in place with these colleges. Copies of these guides are available in the Reference Section of the Fort Lewis Library and at the various two-year colleges in Colorado under this articulation agreement.

The community/junior college transfer student under this agreement can graduate under the requirements of the Fort Lewis College catalog of the year the student entered the Colorado community/junior college provided that attendance is continuous at the Colorado community/junior college. If the student is absent from the Colorado community/junior college for two consecutive terms, the student is not considered a continuous student. That student must use the current Fort Lewis College catalog in effect when the student matriculated at Fort Lewis College.

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TRANSFER AGREEMENTS AND GUIDES WITH NON-COLORADO COLLEGES

Fort Lewis College also has articulation agreements and transfer guides with San Juan College, New Mexico, and Diné College in Arizona. These guides are on the Fort Lewis College web site. Those published agreements and transfer guides govern transfer policies for those two-year colleges.

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TRANSFERRING FROM FORT LEWIS COLLEGE TO OTHER INSTITUTIONS

Forestry
Engineering

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In cooperation with Colorado State University, Fort Lewis College offers programs in agriculture, forestry, and engineering. In forestry and engineering, a student may take two years of work at Fort Lewis. If the student follows the prescribed program and maintains the required GPA, the work will be transferred as a block to Colorado State University at the beginning of the junior year. A GPA of 2.0 is required for students planning to transfer to CSU under the Guaranteed Transfer Program in agriculture.

Forestry

A transfer agreement in forestry between Fort Lewis College and Northern Arizona University is also in effect.

Engineering

Engineering agreements have also been established in cooperation with the Colorado School of Mines, the University of New Mexico, the University of Southern Colorado, New Mexico State University, and the University of Colorado at Boulder. By taking a prescribed block of courses at Fort Lewis College in the first two years, a student can transfer to any of these institutions with junior standing if all requirements are met. These programs are, of course, transferable to other schools as well, on the basis of a course-by-course evaluation.

In engineering, Fort Lewis also offers a 3-2 cooperative program in which the student spends three years at Fort Lewis followed by two years at Colorado State University. At the conclusion of the program, the student receives a Fort Lewis College degree in mathematics and a degree from Colorado State University in engineering.

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TRANSFER INQUIRY/APPEALS PROCESS

Colorado Commission on Higher Education Procedures for Resolution of Student Transfer Disputes

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The inquiry/appeals process is explained below and applies to transfer appeals from Colorado public colleges as well as all other accredited colleges.

The student may appeal:
a decision regarding the transferability of a specific course(s);
a decision regarding the placement of a specific course(s);
the institution’s failure to provide a transcript evaluation within the designated thirty (30) calendar day period.

1. The appeal must be submitted in writing to the Records Office . The decisions regarding course transferability and/or placement made in the initial transcript evaluation will be binding if the student fails to file a written letter of appeal within fifteen (15) calendar days.

a. The Records Office and appropriate department chair will review the written appeal submitted by the student.

b. The appropriate department chair will have thirty (30) calendar days to review the student's appeal. The Records Office will inform the student in writing of the department's decision on the appeal, including the rationale for that decision. In addition, the student shall be informed in writing about the process for appealing the appeal decision should the student feel that reasonable doubt exists.

c. If the Records Office fails to inform the student of the available appeal options, the departmental decision shall be null and void. The student's request prevails and cannot be overturned by any institutional administrator or committee.

2. An opportunity to appeal the first appeal decision.

a. The student may appeal the first appeal decision by writing the Academic Vice-President of Fort Lewis College. The appeal must be filed within fifteen (15) calendar days of the postmark date of the letter notifying the student of the departmental decision. If the student fails to file an appeal within this time period, the original decision shall be binding.

b. Fort Lewis College must hear and reach a decision on the appeal within (15) calendar days after the appeal is filed.

c. The student will be notified in writing by Fort Lewis College of its decision regarding the transfer appeal and the rationale for the decision. In addition, the institution shall inform the student that the student may appeal the decision by writing the governing board.

3. An opportunity to appeal the institutional appeal decision.

a. The student may appeal the institutional decision by writing the Academic Vice-President. The appeal must be filed within five (5) calendar days of the postmark date of the letter notifying the student of the institutional decision. If the student fails to file an appeal within this time period, the institutional decision shall be binding.

b. The governing board staff shall review and reach a decision on the appeal within five (5) calendar days after the appeal is filed.

c. The student will be notified in writing by the governing board of its decision regarding the transfer appeal and the rationale for the decision. In addition, the institution shall inform the student that the student may appeal the decision by writing the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. The appeal must be filed within five (5) calendar days of the postmark date of letter notifying the student of the governing board's decision.

Colorado Commission on Higher Education Procedures for Resolution of Student Transfer Disputes

The appeals process is to be initiated by the student after all remedies have been exhausted without resolution of the issue at the institutional level.

An appeal is initiated by the student who informs the Commission in writing of the situation and the reason for the appeal. Complete instructions regarding this level of appeal may be found on the CCHE website.

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FORMER STUDENTS

A former student is one who registered for classes at Fort Lewis College at any time in the past but has withdrawn and/or has not been registered during the last two consecutive trimesters. Students in this category must petition to resume studies. Students who have been under academic suspension must also petition to resume studies. If the student has attended other collegiate institutions in the interim, complete and official transcripts of all work taken must be submitted from each institution attended.

Former students are individually advised and registered for their “re-entry” term by the Academic Advising Center either on campus or by telephone. Generally, advising and registration for Summer sessions and the Fall trimester begins in March and advising and registration for the Winter trimester begins in October. For more information, contact the Academic Advising Center at (970) 247-7085.

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Fort Lewis College is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant international students. In general, the same qualifications for admission are required for international students as for American applicants. A brief statement concerning the admission policies for foreign applicants may be obtained from the Admission Office.

Degree-seeking international students are individually advised and registered by the New Student Advising & Registration Office either by e-mail, on campus or by telephone. Consult the information earlier in this section for Freshmen and Transfer students.

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UNCLASSIFIED STUDENTS

Under special circumstances students are permitted to register without having been admitted formally to the College. Usually these are adults whose objectives may be realized by taking a few courses rather than by pursuing a degree. The privilege of continuing may be withdrawn at any time when the accomplishments of a student are not deemed satisfactory. Satisfactory performance as an unclassified student is required for such a student to apply for regular admission. Unclassified students may need to seek permission from professors to enroll in classes.

Unclassified students are individually advised and registered by the Academic Advising Center either on campus or by telephone. Generally, advising and registration for Summer sessions and the Fall trimester begins in March and advising and registration for the Winter trimester begins in October. Admitted students will be mailed a guide to the advising and registration process by the Admission Office. For more information, contact the Academic Advising Center at (970) 247-7085.

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CONCURRENT STUDENTS

Qualified high school juniors and seniors may be admitted to take Fort Lewis College courses. Concurrent students, in order to be considered for regular admission, must reapply each trimester for admission. Students wishing to participate in this program should obtain further information from the Admission Office or their high school counselor.

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COLORADO BASIC SKILLS ASSESSMENT POLICY

Degree-seeking students admitted after Fall 2001 must fulfill the requirements of Colorado Basic Skills Assessment Policy. The policy was created by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education to implement legislation passed in 2000 by the Colorado Legislature (HB 00-1464). The policy requires students to be assessed at matriculation to determine if they are college-level in reading, writing, and mathematics. Approved assessments are the ACT, the SAT, and Accuplacer. The Colorado Basic Skills Policy is administered by the New Student Advising & Registration Office, which issues Basic Skills Assessment reports to each new student upon registration for courses. Students who do not submit the documentation required for Basic Skills Assessment as specified by the New Student Advising & Registration Office will have a hold placed on their academic records.

There are three assessments possible in each competency area: exempt, college-level, remedial. Students are exempt from all assessment if they already have earned a bachelor’s degree or a transfer-oriented associate’s degree.

Students are exempt in assessment in reading if they have earned
a) a C- or better in college composition;
b) a C- or better in a college preparatory reading course; or
c) have a documented reading disability.

Students are exempt from assessment in writing if they have earned
a) a C- or better in college composition;
b) a C- or better in a college preparatory writing course; or
c) have a documented writing disability.

Students are exempt from assessment in mathematics if they have earned
a) a C- or better in a college-level mathematics course;
b) a C- or better in an intermediate algebra course; or
c) have a documented disability in mathematics.

Students who are exempt do not need to take further action under the policy.

Students who are assessed as college-level in reading, writing, or mathematics are reported to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education as not needing remediation in the relevant competency area. Students who are college-level in a competency area do not need to take further action under the policy.

Students who are assessed as remedial in reading, writing, or mathematics are reported to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education as in need of remediation in the relevant competency area. Under the Colorado Basic Skills Assessment Policy, students are required to take the appropriate remedial coursework and earn a grade of C- or higher by the time they earn 30 credits at Fort Lewis College.

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RESIDENCY CLASSIFICATION FOR TUITION PURPOSES

A student is classified as an in-state or out-of-state student for tuition purposes at the time of admission. This classification is based upon information supplied by the student on the application for admission. Residency classifications are determined in accordance with the Colorado Tuition Classification Law, CRS Section 23, Article 7, revised May 1995. Colorado institutions of higher education are bound by the provisions of this statute and are not free to make exceptions to the rules set forth.

Once determined, a student’s tuition classification status remains unchanged unless satisfactory evidence that a change should be made is presented. Satisfactory evidence would be a Petition for In-State Residency and should be submitted to the Admission Office for first-time students, or to the Records Office for continuing students. The deadline for submission of a Petition for In-State Residency is the first day of the term for which the student is petitioning. It is preferred that petitions be received 30 days prior to the beginning of the term. Petitions received past the deadline will not be considered until the following term. Students may contact the Admission or Records Office for additional information about the petitioning process.

The statute provides that an in-state student is one who has been a legal domiciliary (resident) of Colorado for exactly one year or more immediately preceding the first day of the term for which the in-state classification is being sought. Persons over 22 years of age or who are under 22 and emancipated establish their own legal domicile. Those who are under 22 years of age and are unemancipated assume the domicile of their parent or court-appointed legal guardian. An unemancipated minor’s parent, therefore, must have a legal domicile in Colorado for one year or more before the minor may be classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes. Emancipation, as defined by Colorado State Statute, is the intent of the parent to cease all financial support of the student. Financial support includes, but is not limited to, daily expenses, tuition, medical insurance, automobile insurance, and automobile ownership.

Domicile is established when one has a permanent place of habitation in Colorado and the intention of making Colorado one’s true, fixed, and permanent home and place of habitation. The tuition statute places the burden of establishing a Colorado domicile on the person seeking to establish the domicile. The question of intent is one of documentable fact and needs to be shown by substantial connections with the state sufficient to evidence such intent.

Legal domicile in Colorado, for tuition purposes, begins the day after connections with Colorado are made sufficient to evidence one’s intent. The most common ties with the state are:

(1) ownership or rental of residential real property in Colorado,
(2) permanent employment in Colorado,
(3) compliance with laws imposing a mandatory duty on any domiciliary of the state, such as the driver’s license law and the vehicle registration law,
(4) Colorado voter registration, and
(5) payment of Colorado state income taxes as a resident by one whose income is sufficient to be taxed. Caution: payment or filing of back taxes in no way serves to establish legal domicile retroactive to the time filed.

To qualify for in-state tuition for a given term, the 12-month waiting period (which begins when the legal domicile is established) must be completed by the first day of classes for the term in question. If one’s 12-month waiting period expires after the beginning of the term, in-state tuition cannot be granted until the next term.

A student who, due to subsequent events, becomes eligible for a change in classification from resident to non-resident or vice-versa must inform the Records Office within 15 days after such a change occurs. An adult student or emancipated minor who moves outside of Colorado must send written notification to the Records Office within 15 days of the change.

If a student who has ever been denied in-state residency in the past wishes to be reconsidered for in-state residency, the student must submit an updated Petition for In-State Residency form with any additional documentation.

The final decision regarding tuition status, within statute stipulation, rests with the College. Questions regarding residence (tuition) status should be referred only to the Records Office. Opinions of other persons are not official or binding upon the College. Additional information (including the “Petition for In-State Classification” form) is available from the Records Office in 160 Miller Student Center.

The Colorado Revised Statutes are available in the reference section of the John F. Reed Library at Fort Lewis College.

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ADMISSION DELAY/ADMISSION WITHDRAWAL PROCESS

New students who wish to delay or withdraw their admission must contact the Admission Office in writing with their request. Students who have reserved space in a residence hall need to contact the Housing Office in writing.

If the student has already registered for classes, the following steps must be followed:

If the term has not yet started: Use WebOPUS account to drop all classes in which student is registered. This is done through the Student Services/Registration/Add-Drop menu. Each class must be dropped individually.

If the term has started: Use WebOPUS account to initiate an official withdrawal from the college. This is done through the Student Services/Registration/Withdraw from the Current Term menu. If the withdrawal is made after Census day, a grade of “W” or “F” is assigned by the instructor and this becomes part of the student’s official record.

For assistance with these processes, contact the Academic Advising Center, 970-247-7085.

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