The Federation of Students maintains a number of Bylaws, Policies and Procedures, which lay out the structure of the organization and the way it is run. They cover everything from the way clubs are managed to how our student elections are to be run. There are four specific sections of documents that contain all of our bylaws, policies & procedures:

The Bylaws operate as the Constitution of the Federation of Students, governing all aspects of the Corporation. Included are such things as requirements for membership, the structure of such bodies as Students' Council and the Board of Directors, as well as an outline of the services, commissions and standing committees overseen by the organization.

Bylaws are established by the general membership during meetings of the corporation (generally held in March and October of each calendar year). 

The policies are statements of belief held by the Federation of Students on a range of issues concerning undergraduate students at the University of Waterloo, including policies on academic program delivery, sustainability, and academic autonomy.

Policy expires after 5 years, when Students' Council must choose to renew, amend or remove policy.

Students' Council is the representative body of the Federation of Students, and is empowered to create operational guidelines to manage those areas of the Federation of Students overseen by Students’ Council. Examples of Council Procedures include guideline for elections and referenda, budget preparation, and the management of the Special Projects fund.

The Federation of Students is constituted as a corporation without share capital under the Ontario Corporations Act. As with most corporations, the Federation of Students maintains a Board of Directors which primarily oversees the financial, legal and contractual matters of the Federation of Students. In addition to Federal and Provincial laws, the Board of Directors is bound by the Board of Directors Procedures and Federation of Students' Bylaws, which regulate affairs of the corporation with regard to such matters, from authorization of expenditures, to ethical purchasing contracts, to child care policy.

Review of Board procedures occurs annually and is the reponsibility of each member of the Board of Directors.