Lander Dean Brings One Love’s Relationship Lessons Back to Campus

A behavior that feels caring at the beginning of a relationship can become controlling over time. Concern can turn into possessiveness, and a partner can gradually become isolated from friends without immediately recognizing the change.

That progression was one of the most thought-provoking lessons Dave Drucker, Lander University’s dean of students and Title IX coordinator, took from a workshop focused on helping college students distinguish between healthy and unhealthy relationships.

Drucker joined college and university professionals from across South Carolina for the virtual workshop July 28. The South Carolina Institute on the Prevention of Sexual Violence on College Campuses hosted the program in partnership with the One Love Foundation.

Nearly 70 people representing 25 institutions registered for the workshop. One Love introduced participants to educational materials that colleges and universities can use to strengthen relationship education on their campuses. SCIP also shared information about its grants, internships, professional development courses and other resources available to institutions across the state.

“Dean Drucker’s participation reflects what SCIP hopes to accomplish through opportunities like this: equipping campus leaders with practical tools they can take back to their students and colleagues,” said Dr. Matthew Hammett, executive director of SCIP. “When campus leaders put those lessons into practice, the impact extends far beyond a single workshop.”

For Drucker, the program provided lessons he believes could benefit Lander students.

“The One Love Foundation workshop was incredibly informative and leaves no doubt that our student body can greatly benefit from learning the key aspects of a healthy relationship,” Drucker said.

One Love uses videos and other educational materials to help young people identify behaviors that can signal an unhealthy or abusive relationship. Its resources also highlight qualities associated with healthy relationships, including trust, honesty, respect and open communication.

The workshop’s discussion about recognizing healthy and unhealthy behaviors stood out to Drucker. Actions that appear caring early in a relationship can develop into possessiveness and attempts to isolate a partner from friends. Because those changes may occur gradually, someone may not recognize the escalation until the behavior becomes a serious concern.

Communication was another important focus. With many interactions now taking place through text messages, social media and other digital platforms, Drucker said creating an environment that encourages effective communication is critical.

Drucker hopes to use One Love’s video library as a teaching tool for groups across Lander’s campus, including student organizations, student-athletes and members of fraternities and sororities. The videos and accompanying discussions allow students to examine realistic situations, identify concerning behavior and consider what healthier interactions could look like.

He described One Love’s broader goal as creating “a safer environment of empathy and respect where everyone looks out for each other.”

That goal closely aligns with Drucker’s responsibilities at Lander. As dean of students and Title IX coordinator, he works to support campus safety and student well-being while helping students prepare for life beyond college.

“My overarching role as the dean of students is to provide an environment that emphasizes safety, caring and wellness,” Drucker said.

As students progress through college, Drucker said, they can develop tools for their own lives while also mentoring younger students and modeling healthy behaviors. Bringing One Love’s lessons back to Lander offers another way to help students contribute to a campus culture grounded in safety, care and respect.