This paper addresses the use of geometric and semantic modeling associated with 3D Geographic Information Systems (3D GIS), focusing on university campus management. The aim is to demonstrate the importance of database modeling and highlight the advantages these technologies offer to the academic community, contributing to the development of a smart campus. To achieve this goal, practical cases from universities in Brazil and abroad that have implemented smart campus technologies are presented, focusing on the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) case. In this research, CityGML is used as the standard for creating geometric and semantic models, while 3DCityDB is employed to store the campus building models. Finally, the importance of storing data, such as space uses and functions, in a 3D database is discussed. This approach can assist university management in decision-making, providing a more transparent and more precise view of the needs and challenges of a university campus.