The increasing seriousness of environmental problems is becoming a pressing social issue. Much attention is given to exploring ways to change this situation, with ecology being considered the most effective and sustainable solution. With increasing human development, cities have become the most important form of human settlement. Many studies have examined how to reform cities into managed ecosystems that are more self-contained, achieving a greater utilization of renewable resources and less contamination and emissions. In practice, it is difficult to realize such a system, due to the complex and uncontrollable behavior of city flows. However, college and university campuses may be viewed as representing a simplified eco-city that, through human intervention, is most likely to be reformed into a controlled ecological system through modern information technology and effective management. Thus, the authors investigated the possibility of realizing a controlled campus ecosystem. The study examined the main ecological flows within the ecosystem, which include flows of material, energy, population, and information. The role of the four ecological flows in the metabolism of a campus ecosystem is delineated in this article. At present, a university campus in China typically has many students, faculty, and staff who study, live, and produce there. The campus system has become increasingly energy-intensive and resource-intensive, subsequently discharging increasing quantities of waste to the environment. Therefore, it is necessary to find ways to reduce these outflows, such that the campus system becomes more sustainable. By recycling and reusing waste-water and solid waste, the campus may be transformed into an independent ecosystem. This process raises the possibility of a new approach to reform typical Chinese campuses. Ecological engineering technologies, such as solar energy, green roofs, the use of heat pumps, and high-tech information collection systems, etc., were applied to optimize the construction of the campus ecosystem. The Information Flow System (IFS) utilized data on human activities and the flows of energy and matter to more efficiently manage matter circulation and energy flow. This paper presents a theoretical model of how to form a controlled ecological system, and discusses the possibility of realizing the construction and management of an ecologically controlled campus. These efforts are expected to maximize the efficiency of energy and material use; thus, reducing carbon emissions and associated climatic and environmental impacts. If this theoretical model could be realized, it would provide a valuable reference for eco-city construction. Furthermore, this model would make a significant contribution the modern ecology of humans.