Meet Robert Bullen, retired Sergeant Major for the U.S. Army Recruiting School.Currently, Bullen serves as the Veteran Outreach/Prior Learning Assessment Coordinator for University of Hawai‘i System of Community Colleges. He is the point of contact to provide informational service, outreach, and referrals for colleges wanting to establish or expand services to military personnel (active, guard and reserve), qualified military dependents, and veterans. His primary focus is promoting the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) program by which all students can earn college credit by identifying and documenting college-level learning acquired through life experiences. This program can provide military members and veterans a connection between academic programs and their job in the military. Bullen also represents the state of Hawai‘i on the Interstate Passport Military and Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee and recently presented to attendees at the train-the-trainer workshop for military and veteran affairs advisors at Interstate Passport Network (IPN) member institutions. In his position, Bullen works to establish relations between local bases on the islands and IPN members like Leeward Community College.
Bullen states that “with such a large active duty military presence in Hawai‘i, the benefits of earning a Passport provide students the assurance that general education classes already taken will not have to be repeated again. The Interstate Passport Network (IPN) is a huge resource for military and veteran students.” Now that the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) is an IPN member, Bullen has an office on Hickam Air Force Base, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam in the Education Center. He communicates directly with Airmen about Interstate Passport and the participating IPN institutions where students with a Passport might transfer to or from.