A show cause sanction from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) puts a Montana tribal college's future in question over governance, leadership, safety and financial audit concerns.Watch Little Big Horn C ollege story here: Little Big Horn College faces most serious accreditation sanction as financial audit deadline looms in 2027Show cause is the commission's most serious sanction, requiring the college to demonstrate why its accreditation should not be withdrawn."This threat to our accreditation is extremely serious," said Janine Pease, who was LBHC's founding president and now teaches at the school.The accreditor says the college must address four major areas: board governance, leadership, safety and financial audits.That last requirement alone could be a significant lift."That's a complex financial function," Pease said. "Not just one year, but three years and perhaps some of a fourth."Board member Shawn Real Bird is also concerned about the college's future.He says the college has brought in outside help to try to fix the problems."We have a deadline of 2027, June 30 to finish all financial audits," Real Bird said. "We do have an internal investigator, a criminal investigator that is approved by contract and by a motion. In addition to that, we have a forensic auditor."Perhaps the clearest sign of what's at stake is what the school is now being required to plan for students.The accreditor has ordered LBHC to prepare teach-out plans and agreements, identifying other institutions that could help students continue their education, if necessary.That does not mean the college is closing. It remains accredited and open.But it is now required to have a contingency plan for its students.What could be lost here extends beyond degrees."They receive the education and the vision that Chief Plenty Coups set forth for the Crow people," said Real Bird.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less